CWRC Directs Karnataka To Release 6,000 Cusecs For 15-Days To Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu stuck to its demand of backlog clearance and sought about 1.76 tmc/day (20, 370 cusecs) for next 15-days instead of 9,000 cusecs of release: Reports
BENGALURU: Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) on Tuesday asked Karnataka to ensure 6,000 cusecs of release from its reservoirs-Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini to Tamil Nadu for 15-days starting from Wednesday. The latest decision from CWRC will mean that Karnataka releases as much as 7.776 tmc.
Earlier, Karnataka requested CWRC to reduce water release from 9,000 cusecs to 2,000 cusecs considering acute distress and made it clear that the State is not in a position to make further releases from its reservoir. Karnataka wanted “In a distress year, scarcity must be shared and not transferred from one State to another.”
Karnataka contended before the CWRC that Tamil Nadu as against permitted 1.85 lakh acres for Kuruvai area but the cultivation reportedly expanded to about 8.41 lakh acres even during the distress year. Karnataka argued that Tamil Nadu additionally benefits from North-East monsoon whereas Karnataka’s Cauvery catchment areas depend predominantly on the South-West monsoon which is nearing its end this year.
Karnataka stated four reservoirs-KRS, Kabini, Harangi and Hemavathy in Cauvery catchment areas held only 63. 218 tmc as on September 7. After reserving about 32 tmc for drinking water, 10 tmc for environmental flows and accounting for evaporation, only 15. 218 tmc would remain in the reservoirs for irrigation leaving an estimated 23.322 tmc shortfall.
Karnataka brought to the notice of CWRC against a normal Kharif requirement of 111. 52 tmc, the distress-adjusted requirement is 56.37 tmc. Only 17. 83 tmc had been released into canals up to August, leaving a substantial balance requirement. However, Tamil Nadu stuck to its demand of backlog clearance and sought about 1.76 tmc/day (20, 370 cusecs) for next 15-days instead of 9,000 cusecs of release.
