CHENNAI: The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directed the Karnataka government to release 2,600 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for 23 days from November 1.
The Committee has directed the Karnataka government to release 2,600 cusecs of water daily between November 1 and 23 despite their demand for 13,000 cusecs of water for 15 days from November 1 to save the standing Kuruvai crops, said sources who privy to the meeting held on Monday late afternoon.
"If the Karnataka government fails to abide by the CRWC's direction, we will flag the issue in the Cauvery Water Management Authority in the forthcoming meeting on November 3," said a senior PWD official.
The senior officials of the Public Works Department of TN, according to sources, also informed the Committee that the Karnataka government had to release 140.99 tmc of water between June 1 to October 26 as per the Supreme Court verdict. However, it discharged only 53.394 tmc of water till date. The TN is yet to receive its due share of 83.705 tmc of water for the period.
Citing the present water storage level, the officials pointed out that only 18 tmc of water is available in the Mettur reservoir. Hence, they were unable to release water for irrigation purposes and the standing crops withered.
Representative of the Karnataka government firmly said that it cannot continue to release water to TN due to the poor inflow of water to the reservoirs in Karnataka. The available water is only sufficient for irrigation and drinking water purposes for Karnataka.
After hearing both the sides and also took the views of the India Meteorological Department on rainfall during the period, the Committee directed the Karnataka government to release 2,600 cusecs of water daily for 23 days, starting from November 1 to the lower riparian state (TN) and 165 cusecs of water daily to Karaikal in Puducherry for the same period.
Earlier on September 12, the CWRC asked the Karnataka government to release another 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days.