CHENNAI: The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directed Karnataka to release 4,000 cusecs daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days, citing the State's pro-rata entitlement and the shortfall recorded at Biligundlu. The stipulated release would amount to 5.18 tmcft.
The decision was taken at a CWRC meeting headed by its chairperson Vineet Gupta after reviewing storage levels in Cauvery basin reservoirs, inflows, and the rainfall situation. The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), chaired by S K Haldar, subsequently endorsed the direction.
Tamil Nadu told the committee that only 42.209 tmcft had been realised at Biligundlu against its pro-rata entitlement of 57.190 tmcft, leaving a deficit of 14.981 tmcft, and sought the release of the backlog and questioned Karnataka's assessment of its available water.
The State also questioned Karnataka's water utilisation through canals, anicuts, lift-irrigation systems, and tank-filling schemes, seeking these withdrawals to be taken into account while assessing the water available in the basin.
Karnataka, however, maintained that it was unable to release any more water, citing severe distress in its Cauvery basin. Its four reservoirs had received 113.632 tmcft, against the 30-year average of 239.815 tmcft, a deficit of 52.61 per cent.
The State said it had complied with the previous CWRC direction to release 6,000 cusecs daily for 15 days. It submitted that 38.637 tmcft had been realised at Biligundlu against the ordered cumulative flow of 36.418 tmcft, resulting in an excess of 2.219 tmcft.
Karnataka further said its four reservoirs held 49.775 tmcft. After accounting for drinking water, environmental flows and evaporation, only about 4.775 tmcft was available for irrigation against a requirement of 23.40 tmcft.
It also pointed to Tamil Nadu's expansion of Kuruvai cultivation from 4.30 lakh acres to 8.41 lakh acres and its continuation of Samba cultivation despite the distress situation.
Karnataka said inflows had fallen to about 2,200 cusecs and that priority requirements had to be protected. The latest order comes amid a widening dispute over the alleged accumulated shortfall, with Tamil Nadu separately telling the Supreme Court that the current deficit was about 20 TMC. The apex court has sought Karnataka's response and posted the matter for October 12.