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Karnataka obligated to release Cauvery water to TN, says CWRC
State’s representatives argued that the shortfall in cumulative inflows to Karnataka’s four reservoirs as of October 10 is 50.891%.
Bengaluru: A Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) meeting conducted on Wednesday has determined that Karnataka is obliged to ensure the release of 3000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water, starting from October 16 and continue until October 31. The meeting was conducted virtually and it was attended by representatives of the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments.
During the meeting, representatives of Karnataka argued that Karnataka will not be able to release any water. State’s representatives argued that the shortfall in cumulative inflows to Karnataka’s four reservoirs as of October 10 is 50.891%.
It was further added that the recent instances of increased inflow into the reservoirs in the state can’t be considered a change in the reality of rainfall shortage throughout the year. Deputy chief minister and water resource minister DK Shivakumar told the media on October 10 that due to some rain on October 9, 8,000 cusecs of inflow have come in.
“Taking note of the distress flows and the extreme hydro-meteorological conditions, it is inferred that the flows into Karnataka reservoirs cannot be relied upon with any assurance. Therefore, Karnataka will not be able to release any water from its reservoirs so as to reach Biligundlu except that would be contributed from the uncontrolled catchment,” the statement from CWRC said.
Tamil Nadu has demanded that Karnataka has to release 16,000 cusecs for the next 15 days (which works out to 20.75 TMC).
The statement elaborates that after deliberation, the CWRC has mandated Karnataka to manage the discharge of water from its reservoirs in such a manner as to maintain a consistent flow of 3000 cusecs at Biligundlu. This directive will come into effect at 8am on October 16, and must be adhered to until the end of October.
In September, the CWRC had previously directed Karnataka to guarantee the release of 3,000 cusecs of Cauvery water at Biligundlu, from September 28 to October 15. In response, Karnataka lodged a review petition challenging the order in both the Supreme Court and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).
DK Shivakumar’s announcement regarding the increase in water inflow into the Cauvery river has faced criticism from the opposition who argued he should not have made this information public, as it might compel Tamil Nadu to exert pressure on Karnataka to comply with the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s directive more water.
Former chief minister and JDS senior leader, HD Kumaraswamy, expressed his concerns, saying, “Where is the 8,000 cusecs figure coming from? On October 9, the inflow to the KRS dam was approximately 3,500 cusecs, and on October 10, it was around 4,200 cusecs. He shouldn’t have made this announcement to the public. What will he say before the Authority tomorrow? Was it necessary to disclose this information to the media? I believe he may be attempting to reassure the people of Karnataka about the sufficient water inflow. Nonetheless, the Authority already possesses its own network for obtaining inflow details.”
