Karnataka directed to release 3,500 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu daily for 15 days

NEW DELHI: The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) has recommended that Karnataka release 3,500 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days. The committee has also recommended releasing a total of 4 tmcft of water.

Following the meeting in New Delhi, Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy responded to the directive. “We are facing a water shortage. I will discuss with the CM and take a decision”. “There has been no rain here. We need drinking water for the entire year,” he added.

On the possibility of appealing to the Cauvery Water Management Authority, the minister said, “We will discuss and decide on going on appeal to the Cauvery Water Management Authority”. The state government is expected to take a final call after discussions with Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Earlier, at the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) meeting held in July 15, Karnataka stated that it cannot release water to Tamil Nadu due to a severe shortage in the Cauvery basin, Irrigation Minister Ramalinga Reddy’s office stated.

Karnataka officials told the committee that there was no rainfall in the Cauvery catchment in June and there was zero inflow into reservoirs. “There has been some rain in a few places in July, and a small quantity of water has been stored in the dams. But there is no forecast of the monsoon picking up again”, the officials said.

Karnataka argued that the water currently stored must be used only for drinking purposes. “There is no water stored in our dams. The water available now is limited to drinking. Karnataka is facing a rainfall deficit the likes of which we have never seen before,” the state submitted.

Tamil Nadu, however, insisted that water should be released as per the Supreme Court verdict. The fresh conflict arose after Tamil Nadu had demanded that Karnataka release Cauvery water to the state, which Karnataka refused, citing less rainfall and lower storage of water.

The Supreme Court had ordered Karnataka in 2018 to release 177.25 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu in order to resolve the long-standing Cauvery river water dispute.

After defining the share of water in its 2018 judgement, in September 2023, the Supreme Court observed that the CWRC had passed an order, which was affirmed by the CWMA and directed Karnataka to release 5000 cusec water per day from Krishnarajasagar and Kabini put together, at Biligundulu, Tamil Nadu, for 15 days. (ANI)