Pointing out that Tamil Nadu’s share of about 22.54 TMC of Cauvery water from Karnataka, has not been realised, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote to Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, requesting him to direct the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to issue directions to Karnataka to release T.N.’s share.
T.N.’s Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan handed over Mr. Stalin’s letter to the Union Minister in New Delhi on Thursday.
Highlighting the dependence of kuruvai crops on the water from the Cauvery river, Mr. Stalin underlined the “critical scenario” and said the standing kuruvai crop could be saved only if Karnataka released water immediately. He also requested the Union Minister to direct the CWMA to issue directions to Karnataka to abide by the monthly schedule prescribed by the Supreme Court and also make good the shortfall.
Though the prescribed quantum of 26.32 TMC was to have been received between June 1 to July 17, the flows received in Billigundulu in T.N., was only 3.78 TMC for this period, leaving a huge shortfall of 22.54 TMC, Mr. Stalin said. “Even this meagre flow of 3.78 TMC realised at Billigundulu is from the flows from the uncontrolled intermediate catchment areas below the KRS and Kabini reservoirs up to Billigundulu.”
Though the onset of Southwest monsoon was delayed, it has picked up pace in July, but Karnataka has not released any water to T.N. from the two scheduled reservoirs. “As a result, the storage in Mettur reservoir is dwindling fast and the current storage can sustain irrigation only for about 20 days”, Mr. Stalin said.
Since Southwest monsoon rainfall in Tamil Nadu is low, the kuruvai crop depends only on flows from Mettur reservoir, which in turn depends on releases from Karnataka. Although 12,000 cusecs of water were released from Mettur initially, as needed per day for the kuruvai crop, this has been brought down to 10,000 cusecs now.
“We have been taking all efforts to manage the crisis with judicious water management. But the demand – supply gap is very significant and it can be met only by releases from Karnataka,” Mr. Stalin said.
T.N. had flagged this issue during a meeting of the Union Minister earlier this month, and had also taken up the issue during the meetings of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee as well as the CWMA, which advised Karnataka to ensure the flows at Billigundulu as per the final award of the CWDT as modified by the Supreme Court.
Even after the Authority’s intervention, Karnataka “has not made any effort to adhere to the monthly schedule prescribed by the Supreme Court”, Mr. Stalin said.
