Release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as per SC order: CWRC tells Karnataka

CHENNAI: From June 1 to September 10, Tamil Nadu received nearly double the quantity of water from Karnataka as stipulated by the Supreme Court. The State received 191.66 thousand million cubic feet (tmc) of Cauvery water as against the stipulated quantity of 98.633 tmc, an excess of 93 tmc.

However, Karnataka’s attempt to cite this number to counter the demand for water release as per prescribed, scheduled quantity in the coming months failed to convince officials from Tamil Nadu and also the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) which met in hybrid mode on Thursday.

At the meeting, Tamil Nadu asked the committee to direct the Karnataka government to comply with the Apex Court's verdict and release water as stipulated for the coming months. As per the SC's order, Karnataka has to release 36.76 tmc in September, 20.22 tmc in October and 13.78 tmc in October.

When Karnataka tried to claim that it had released double the stipulated quantity of water to lower riparian states, Tamil Nadu rejected it, noting that it was only the surplus water from Kabini, KRS, Hemavathi and Harangi reservoirs that was released.

Following this, committee chairperson Vineet Gupta directed Karnataka to comply with the SC order and release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu and other lower riparian states in the coming months.

Tamil Nadu received 14 tmc more than the annual quota of 177.25 tmc of Cauvery water in a water year (from June 1 to May 31).