CWMA upholds release; leaves TN, K’taka fuming

CHENNAI: A day after the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) directed Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days, the Cauvery Water Management Authority on Tuesday upheld the decision, leaving both states with a sense of disappointment.

While Karnataka argued against releasing any water from its reservoirs citing severe shortage that has affected even drinking water supply, Tamil Nadu had sought at least 24,000 cusecs to save the standing crop in nearly 5.4 lakh acres that faces the risk of wilting if the Delta region fails to get adequate supply.

At the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) meeting chaired by Saumitra Kumar Haldar in Delhi on Tuesday, Karnataka dug its heels against meeting Tamil Nadu’s demand for 24,000 cusecs of water for 10 days. Its representatives cited the failure of the Southwest monsoon resulting in poor storage in its reservoirs, and noted that there were no guidelines on sharing water during monsoon failure seasons.

Meanwhile, highlighting the shortfall of water that is due for Tamil Nadu as per the scheduled release in the water year, Water Resource Department secretary Sandeep Saxeena and Cauvery Technical Cell chairman R Subramanian pressed for 24,000 cusecs for the next 10 days for the standing Kurvai crop.

Hearing both sides, CWMA chairperson Halder directed Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs in the first spell (August 29 to September 13).

Expressing disappointment, a senior official said, “Tamil Nadu will end up getting little over six TMC water in the first spell. We can manage six to seven days with this, but need water for the next 30 days to save the standing crop.”

In Bengaluru, Minister MB Patil said it was very difficult for the State to follow the CWRC order due to the water crisis prevailing there. “We do not have water, it’s an order that is very difficult for us to implement. We want a distress formula on this long-pending issue, a formula based on scientific and practical approach,” Patil told reporters on Tuesday.

Need to manage with 3,500 cusecs: WRD

According to a senior official from the Water Resources Department, at least 1,000 to 1,500 cusecs of the 5,000 cusecs would be lost due to evaporation and other factors. “We will have to manage with the remaining 3,000 to 3,500 cusecs of water to save the crop till the flowering period (September 25). We will also have to use the available water judiciously to sustain our effect. Hence, we are supplying 8,000 cusecs as against 11,000 cusecs as is done during normal water years,” the official said.

He added that the state would have to manage the situation until the next meeting of the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee CWRC on September 13. “We will flag the issue in the court after the CWMA submits its report regarding the order to release water in the first spell,” said the official.

Earlier in the day, Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan expressed disappointment over the CWMA’s approach at this critical juncture. He categorically ruled out talks with the counterparts and said it was the right of the riparian state, Tamil Nadu, to ask for its due share of water that was fixed by the Supreme Court in February 2018. Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, Minister MB Patil, who handled the Water Resources Department during the previous Siddaramaiah government, said if Karnataka were to release water for 15 days as directed by the CWRC, it would be “at the cost of our drinking water and our farmers.”

On Monday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah instructed officials to prioritise the welfare of Karnataka farmers from the Cauvery water. “We cannot give 83 TMC of water, as it will empty out reservoirs and cause problems for [supplying] drinking water,” he said.