Karnataka in distress, asks CWMA to reject water release to Tamil Nadu

Karnataka on Thursday requested the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to reject the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s (CWRC’s) latest recommendation to release 5,000 cusec of Cauvery water daily from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu.

Additional chief secretary to the department of water resources Rakesh Singh, in his letter to the CWMA, said Cauvery basin reservoirs in Karnataka were facing 54.42 per cent shortfall in inflow compared to the average of the last 30 years.

Insisting that Karnataka was facing a severe distress situation, Singh said the state had a commitment for 106.2 tmc ft of water, including 70.2 tmc ft for irrigation, 33 tmc ft for drinking water from September 2023 to July 2024 and 3 tmc ft for industrial use.

However, Cauvery basin reservoirs in Karnataka have storage of just 53.28 tmc ft of water as on September 11.

Even met department’s rain forecast up to September 24 is not promising, Karnataka said in its letter. 

On the other hand, Tamil Nadu had used a whopping 99.776 tmc ft of water in 92 days (June 12 to September 11).

Besides, north east monsoon will be normal this year. Once north east monsoon sets in, inflow into Mettur dam also increases. However, Karnataka does not benefit from north east monsoon, Singh said in the letter.

Pointing out that Karnataka has implemented all earlier directions from the CWMA on releasing water to Tamil Nadu, Singh also said the state’s reservoirs were mainly dependent on the south west monsoon and the same was almost coming to an end.

A majority of taluks in Cauvery basin in the state were reeling under severe drought conditions due to acute water stress, following the failure of the south west monsoon.

Considering these facts, CWMA should reject the latest recommendations of the CWRC and ask it to convene a fresh meeting to review the water situation.  

Separately, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, expressing the state’s inability to release any more water to Tamil Nadu due to severe shortage in its reservoirs.

Irrigation Minister D K Shivakumar, who is in Jaipur to attend the state irrigation ministers’ conference on dam safety issues on Thursday, handed over the CM’s letter to the union minister.