The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on August 29 directed Karnataka to ensure that 5,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water be realised at Billigundulu on the inter-State boundary for the next 15 days — up to September 12.
This was decided at a meeting of the CWMA in New Delhi, which went on for two hours. Barring Tamil Nadu, which was represented by Sandeep Saxena, Additional Chief Secretary of the Water Resources department, at the meeting, other States participated in the meeting online. The quantum was what was recommended by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC), which held its deliberations on August 28. Tamil Nadu wanted 24,000 cusecs to be supplied whereas Karnataka’ stand was 3,000 cusecs.
Referring to deficit in rainfall and inflows into four Karnataka reservoirs in the basin, Saumitra Kumar Haldar, chairman of the CWMA, told The Hindu that the decision was based on a comparison of the current year’s data with that of the long term average, which was arrived at after taking into account the 30-year-long data. “The shortfall in inflow into the Karnataka reservoirs this time is 51%,” Mr. Haldar pointed out, adding that the decision was taken based on discussions, actual shortfall, inflows and outflows of all the reservoirs.
