Karnataka to release 8,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu

The Karnataka government has decided to release 8,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu following an all-party meeting held on Sunday.

The government will also approach Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) with a petition against the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directive, asking Karnataka to release 11,500 cusecs (one tmcft) every day from July 12 to July 31.

The meeting was jointly convened by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. 

Addressing a press conference at the Vidhana Soudha after the meeting, Siddaramaiah said the move to release the water was based on legal opinion.

“Our legal counsel Mohan Kataraki explained the legal nuances of stubbornly opposing the release of water to Tamil Nadu,” Siddaramaiah said.

“He was of the opinion that as the state was appealing before the CWMA, the state government should not adopt any resolution that might anger the CWMA. Therefore, the state government has decided to release 8,000 cusecs daily despite our Cauvery basin reservoirs being only 63 per cent full.” 

Siddaramaiah said refusing to release water will be deemed “disrespectful to the Cauvery Tribunal”. “If there is good rain in coming days, then it is okay to release one tmcft. We are expecting good rains this time,” he said.

According to the CM, 20,000 cusecs was released on July 12 and on July 13, 19,000 cusecs was released to TN from Kabini dam as it has reached its maximum storage capacity of 96 per cent.

Claiming that 2023 was a ‘distress year’ with scanty rainfall, Siddaramaiah noted that in a normal year, the state is supposed to release 177 tmcft but last year the state could release only 81 tmc of water.