The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee on Tuesday “directed” Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water to Tamil Nadu for another 15 days.
The first 15-day spell of water release, as fixed by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), came to an end on Tuesday.
Clarifying that it was a “direction” and not a “recommendation”, Vineet Gupta, the Chairman of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, told The Hindu over the phone from New Delhi that the Committee had the power to issue such a direction. When it was pointed out that Karnataka had told the Supreme Court last week that it might not be feasible to release any water from its reservoirs after September 12, citing a “severe drought situation” in the Cauvery and Krishna basins, Mr. Gupta said, “Let us see what Karnataka is going to do.”
At its meeting, which lasted nearly two hours, the Committee took into account the deficit in inflows into four Karnataka reservoirs, the weather forecast for the next fortnight, the position of storage in all the reservoirs of the Cauvery basin, and Karnataka’s requirements for drinking water and irrigation, before deciding on the quantum of water release to Tamil Nadu, the CWRC chief added.
To another query, Mr. Gupta said a decision was yet to be made on the next meeting of the CWMA. Previously, the Authority met on August 29, a day after the Committee’s deliberations. This was because of the court’s order to the Authority to submit a report on the status of discharge of the river water by Karnataka to Tamil Nadu before September 1, he added.
Tamil Nadu had urged the CWRC to ensure that Karnataka made good the shortfall of about 9 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) due to Tamil Nadu for the period from June 1 to August 27. Besides, it wanted around 2.5 tmc ft to be given over and above the quantum decided by the Committee, which would be equivalent to 6.48 tmc ft.
Between August 29 and September 10, the realisation, as measured at Biligundulu on the inter-State border, was about 6.83 tmc ft, as against the stipulation of 6.48 tmc ft for the period up to September 12.
