Karnataka reduces water release to 3K cusecs, TN to take it up with CWRC

Karnataka government which was to honour the order of the Supreme Court by releasing 5,000 cusecs till September 12, reduced the release to around 3,000 cusecs during the past three days. On Saturday morning, Karnataka released 2,787 cusecs to Tamil Nadu from KRS and Kabini reservoirs. Objecting to this, the Tamil Nadu government will lodge a complaint with the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee which will be meeting on September 12 to review the situation.

Official sources said depending on the orders of the committee, the state government will decide about bringing to the notice of the Supreme Court immediately the Karnataka government’s failure to honour the SC verdict to release 5,000 cusecs per day till September 12. The apex court had already fixed the next hearing about the dispute to September 21.

However, political parties and farmers’ associations have expressed their expectations that Tamil Nadu should immediately move the SC since the standing crops are starving. Meanwhile, in delta districts, the farmers are looking up to the sky for rain to save the standing Kuruvai crops.

The Joint Movement for Cauvery Basin Protection has decided to organise protests in eight delta districts on September 20 to put pressure on Karnataka to release water due to Tamil Nadu. Storage level in Mettur dam stood at 15.70 tmcft against the total capacity of 93.47 tmcft. Due to rains in catchment areas, the inflow into the dam stood at 6,479 cusecs and outflow at 6,502 cusecs.

Karnataka had already filed a review petition on September 2 seeking a reduction in quantity of water to be released from 5,000 cusecs to 3,000 cusecs. However, Tamil Nadu had contested Karnataka’s appeal saying the CWMA had already drastically reduced the quantum of water to be released and seeking further reduction would be unfair.

PMK founder S Ramadoss, in a statement, said Karnataka had stopped releasing water despite SC’s order to release 5,000 cusecs by September 12. Tamil Nadu should immediately move the SC. It should urge the CJI to direct Karnataka to release at least 15,000 cusecs per day by September 21 to save the crops. Since Karnataka has 64 tmcft of water in its reservoirs, it can share 20 tmcft to Tamil Nadu, Ramadoss added.