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.”
