CWMA upholds order for Karnataka to release 4,000 cusecs of water a day to T.N. for 15 days
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Karnataka, reeling under drought, received a jolt on Thursday with the Cauvery Water management Authority (CWMA) endorsing the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s (CWRC) order to ensure flows at a rate of 4,000 cusecs a day for the next 15 days to Tamil Nadu.
The releases, which have to commence from September 24, would amount to a total of 5.18 tmcft.
Earlier Karnataka pleaded before the CWMA that it was not in a position to ensure any further release of water from the Cauvery reservoirs as it would amount to compromising with the State’s own priority requirements, such as drinking water and other essential needs.
It submitted that its storage in the four reservoirs of Cauvery basin was low and they were getting meagre inflows to the tune of 2,200 cusecs a day due to deficient South-West Monsoon due to Super El Nino conditions. Even these inflows were about to stop completely as the South-West Monsoon was coming to end, it pointed out.
This had resulted in 71% of the taluks in the Cauvery basin being declared as drought-affected, Karnataka said, whie pointing out that 75% of geographical area of the Cauvery basin was reeling under drought.
On the contrary, Karnataka pointed out quoting a news report, that an expert committee constituted by Tamil Nadu government to assess the impact of Super El Nino system, had indicated that the State may face excess rainfall and floods during the North-East Monsoon.
Karnataka pointed out that it had released an excess of 2.219 tmcft of water above that ordered by the CWMA for the earlier period from June 29 to September 23.
Karnataka appealed to the CWMA to reduce the ordered flows from 4,000 cusecs to 3,000 cusecs a day considering its own critical situation along with regard for principle of justice and equity. However, the CWMA directed Karnataka to release 4,000 cusecs of water a day for the next 15 days.
Earlier, Karnataka told the CWRC that the live cumulative storage in its four reservoirs of Cauvery basin stood at 49.775 tmcft accounting for only 47.60% of the full capacity. But the State needed 29 tmcft to take care of drinking water requirements and 10 tmcft for ensuring environmental flows and another 23.40 tmcft for taking care of irrigation requirements for Kharif season.
But Tamil Nadu had a storage of 52.177 tmcft, and with North-East monsoon rainfall it was comfortably placed without needing any releases from Karnataka, it argued.
The State pointed out that it had received only 406.5 mm rainfall (63.18%) against the normal of 643.40 mm whereas Tamil Nadu had received 230.9 mm (69.21%) rainfall against normal of 333.64 mm during the South-West monsoon from June 01 to September 22.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the order, Karnataka’s Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy said the State would file an appeal against it.
He maintained that it was not possible to implement the order as the State did not have adequate storage due to the drought situation.
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