CWMA orders Karnataka to release 2.5 tmc of Cauvery water; no hope of receiving it, say Tamil Nadu officials

CHENNAI: The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on Tuesday directed the Karnataka government to comply with the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee’s recommendation to release 2.5 tmc (thousand million cubic feet) of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for the month of May.

However, the authority has failed to guarantee the lower riparian state, Tamil Nadu, to receive its due share of Cauvery water as per the distress formula of the Supreme Court’s verdict.

Sources in the state water resources department said that there is no “hope” of getting the state’s due share of water from Karnataka despite the CWRC recommendations and CWMA direction. They have been repeatedly raising the issue over the shortfall and insisted the authority to direct the Karnataka government to release 7 tmc of water to match the shortfall from January this year along with the 2.5 tmc of water due for the month of May.

The cumulative flows realised at the inter-state contact point of Biligundulu was 78.696 tmc as against 174.333 tmc between June 1 and April 25. The shortfall accounts for 95.537 tmc of water during the period.

“The CWMA listens to our plea, but does not redress the grievance to get the stipulated quantity of water for the water year. They only direct the upper riparian state to release water for the respective month. For that, they (Karnataka) responded negatively by citing poor rainfall in the catchment areas,” said a reliable source privy to the development at the CWMA meeting held in Delhi on Tuesday.

Additional Chief Secretary of Water Resources Department Sandeep Saxena had represented Tamil Nadu at the meeting chaired by CWMA’s chairperson SK Haldar to discuss and arrive at a consensus on sharing of Cauvery water for the month of May.

The officials from Tamil Nadu gave details on the available water level in Mettur, which is the lifeline of the Delta region, and pointed out that Karnataka has not released water since January, despite the direction of the CWMA.

They also pointed out that the cumulative water storage in the reservoirs - Harangi, Hemavathy, Kabini, and Krishnaraja Sagar - in Karnataka, is 19.7 tmc and that they need around 4 tmc for drinking water purposes.

The officials also emphasised the importance of realising the stipulated quantity of water for environmental and drinking water purposes in Tamil Nadu.

On hearing the Tamil Nadu officials, the CWMA directed the Karnataka government to release 2.5 tmc of water for May as per the Supreme Court verdict.

However, the Karnataka government said that they were not in a position to release Cauvery water due to water crisis in their state.