The Supreme Court will on Thursday hear Tamil Nadu’s plea seeking directions to Karnataka to comply with the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) decision to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day for 15 days from the Kabini and Krishna Raja Sagara reservoirs.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant agreed to list the matter on Thursday after senior advocate CS Vaidyanathan, appearing for Tamil Nadu, made an urgent mentioning before him.
The DMK’s application seeking similar directions against Karnataka is also likely to come up for hearing on the same day.
Tamil Nadu has moved the Supreme Court alleging that Karnataka has “wilfully” disobeyed the July 30 decision of the CWMA, which endorsed the recommendation of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) for the release of 3,500 cusecs per day for 15 days from July 29.
The state has sought directions to ensure that the mandated release reaches the inter-state border point at Billigundulu and that Karnataka also makes good the accumulated shortfall in releases.
According to Tamil Nadu, the CWMA’s direction would require Karnataka to release 4.536 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water -- equivalent to 3,500 cusecs per day for 15 days, by August 12.
{{/usCountry}}According to Tamil Nadu, the CWMA’s direction would require Karnataka to release 4.536 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water -- equivalent to 3,500 cusecs per day for 15 days, by August 12.
{{/usCountry}}But the state has claimed that this would still leave a substantial shortfall when the distress-sharing formula is applied. It has sought a direction to Karnataka to release an additional 26.954 TMC, which Tamil Nadu says represents its pro rata entitlement between June 1 and August 12.
The state has alleged that Karnataka has not complied even with the limited 3,500-cusec direction. According to the application, actual flows recorded at Billigundulu between July 29 and August 2 ranged from just 158 cusecs to 530 cusecs, substantially below the mandated daily release. “It is evident that Karnataka has wilfully not complied with the directions of the CWRC/CWMA,” Tamil Nadu has said.
The state has also relied on improved storage levels in Karnataka’s reservoirs following recent rainfall to argue that there is sufficient water available to comply with the authority’s direction.
As on August 3, Karnataka had gross storage of 77.537 TMC in its four principal reservoirs -- 23.078 TMC in KRS, 18.610 TMC in Kabini, 7.827 TMC in Harangi and 28.022 TMC in Hemavathy, according to the application.
Tamil Nadu has sought directions to the CWMA to monitor Karnataka’s reservoirs every 10 days and ensure compliance with the stipulated monthly and daily releases at Billigundulu.
The latest dispute comes at a critical point in the Cauvery irrigation calendar in Tamil Nadu, with the Cauvery Delta dependent on flows into the Mettur reservoir for the Kuruvai paddy crop and preparations for the Samba crop.
The DMK, which approached the Supreme Court ahead of the Tamil Nadu government, has similarly sought immediate directions to Karnataka to release Cauvery water at Billigundulu and comply with the CWMA’s decision.
In its application, the DMK has described the present period as crucial for farmers in the Cauvery Delta, where the Kuruvai short-term paddy crop is raised and preparatory and transplantation operations for the Samba crop are undertaken.
“If water is not realised at Biligundlu now, the standing Kuruvai crop will wither before harvest, the ensuing Samba cultivation -- the mainstay of the Delta, will equally be imperilled,” the party has said.
The DMK has also pointed out that the 3,500-cusec release ordered by the CWMA for 15 days would amount to only about 4.5 TMC, substantially below Tamil Nadu’s claimed entitlement even under the distress-sharing formula.
Tamil Nadu has told the Supreme Court that Karnataka’s annual release obligation at Billigundulu under the Cauvery allocation framework aggregates to 167.25 TMC between June and January, comprising 123.14 TMC between June and September and 44.11 TMC between October and January. An additional 10 TMC is earmarked towards environmental flows, taking the total annual requirement to 177.25 TMC.
The state has also cited rainfall and inflow data to counter Karnataka’s contention of water distress. It said that while the catchments upstream of KRS, Kabini and the uncontrolled catchment received below-normal rainfall between June 1 and July 27, recent rainfall had led to an improvement in storage levels in Karnataka’s reservoirs.
Tamil Nadu has further alleged that Karnataka has historically adhered to its release obligations primarily during years of surplus inflows and has failed to maintain the stipulated releases during periods of distress.
The dispute follows Karnataka’s challenge before the CWMA to the July 28 decision of the CWRC directing it to release 3,500 cusecs per day at Billigundulu for 15 days from July 29. The CWMA, however, endorsed the recommendation on July 30 after reviewing the hydrometeorological conditions in the Cauvery basin.