Tamil Nadu realised around 3.9 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of Cauvery water flowing from Karnataka in one week out of the stipulated 6.48 tmcft to be provided over 15 days.
The realisation was recorded from August 29 to September 4 as per the readings of the Central Water Commission (CWC) at its gauge and discharge (G&D) station in Biligundulu on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border. At its meeting conducted on August 29, the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) directed Karnataka to ensure that 5,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) was available in Biligundulu for 15 days, starting that day. In other words, this would be equivalent to 6.48 tmcft.
Even though the CWMA had prescribed 5,000 cusecs from August 29, the average daily flows up to August 31 fluctuated between 3,870 cusecs and 3,397 cusecs. This was, however, more than made up for through the realisation since September 1. According to the CWC data, the daily receipt varied from 10,185 cusecs on September 2 to 7,748 cusecs on September 4. In the first four days of this month, the cumulative realisation was about 3 tmcft.
Between June 1 and September 4, Tamil Nadu received approximately 34.65 tmcft. Had the current year been a normal one, it should have gotten 91.28 tmcft. By this yardstick, the shortfall is 56.63 tmcft.
During its meeting on August 11, the CWMA reworked the daily quantum of release and brought it down to 10,000 cusecs for 15 days (August 12- 26) from the normal figure of 17,156 cusecs. In those two weeks, Karnataka nearly fulfilled its commitment by releasing 12.95 tmcft.
As on Wednesday, the water level in Mettur dam stood at 47.33 ft (full level: 120 ft) with a storage of 16.172 tmcft (total capacity: 93.47 tmcft). As much as 8,003 cusecs was being discharged through the river and 500 cusecs through the canal.
