The authorities have stepped down the outflow from the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) during the last 24 hours. The outflow from the reservoir across the river Cauvery used to be around 7,000 cusecs ever since the Cauvery Water Management Authority issued directives to release water at the rate of 5,000 cusecs per day to Tamil Nadu till September 12. It was stepped down to 3,980 cusecs on Friday, September 8, and further reduced to 3,302 cusecs on Saturday morning (September 9). However, this includes release at the rate of 1,257 cusecs to Visvesvaraya Canal as well.
The discharge from the KRS dam into the river was about 1,687 cusecs on Saturday while the outflow from the Kabini river was at the rate of 1,100 cusecs. The cumulative discharge from Kabini and KRS was around 2,787 cusecs.
‘’Coupled with rains in the downstream of the dams, adequate water would flow to Tamil Nadu in compliance with CWMA,’’ according to the authorities.
Meanwhile, the farmers who had pitched their camp at the KRS dam site in protest against the water release to Tamil Nadu, have shifted to Srirangapatana.
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) leader Badgalpura Nagendra said that a farmers delegation met the Chief Minister earlier in the week and he assured to uphold the interest of the Karnataka farmers. Hence, it was decided to adopt a wait-and-watch policy and shift the venue of the agitation from KRS to Srirangapatna.
He said there were plans for blocking the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway next week. But following the assurance from the Chief Minister, the farmers have decided to abstain for now and wait for the next course of action by the CWMA after September 12 and the State government’s reaction to it.
‘’Karnataka was supposed to release water at the rate of 5,000 cusecs till September 12. The State released more than what was stipulated and has now stepped down the release. We will wait for what the CWMA decides after September 12 to chalk out our future course of action,’’ said Mr. Nagendra.
