The poor realisation of Cauvery water in June this year marked the seventh occasion in the last 10 years of Tamil Nadu having received less than the State’s share for the month.
Against the stipulated quantity of 9.19 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) for June, the State got a mere 2.833 tmc ft, a shortfall of 6.357 tmc ft. This was in contrast to what was received in the corresponding month in 2022, when the State realised the highest quantity of around 16.5 tmc ft since 2013, the year the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s final award was published in the gazette of the Union government. The figures of the monthly quota underwent a marginal change after the Supreme Court delivered its judgement in February 2018 on the issue.
The previous month’s realisation was also the fourth instance in which the State received less than one-third of its share. The other three occasions were June 2016, 2017 and 2019 when it realised 2.854 tmc ft, 0.77 tmc ft and 2.06 tmc ft respectively. The realisation during June 2017 — 0.77 tmc ft — was also the lowest for the month in the last 10 years.
On the morning of Tuesday, the water level in the Mettur dam stood at 86.77 ft (the full level: 120 ft), with the storage being 49.034 tmc ft (the capacity: 93.47 tmc ft). On the corresponding day last year, the dam had about 18 tmc ft more than it had now. The storage then was 67.842 tmc ft, while the level stood at 102.29 ft.
Assuming that the present level of drawal of nearly 1 tmc ft continues with the existing inflow, the storage may last for 35 days, making allowance of five tmc ft each for dead storage and drinking water requirements.
