NEW DELHI: In a major setback for Tamil Nadu, which is already reeling under a severe water crisis, officials of the Cauvery Water Management Authority have made it clear that Karnataka “cannot” release the designated amount of water from the river due to delayed monsoon and deficient rainfall.
At the fourth meeting, held on Tuesday, the CWMA reiterated that Karnataka must release 9.19 tmc and 31.24 tmc water to Tamil Nadu for the months of June and July.
The quantum of water, the panel however said, may get altered due to the delay in monsoon rainfall in the Cauvery basin. Rainfall in the catchment area, between June 1 and 20, was deficient, observed the panel.
“Four water reservoirs in Karnataka have received cumulative inflows of 1.77 TMC upto June 24. The cumulative inflow at Biligundlu on June 23 was 1.885 TMC. Karnataka cannot release the designated amount to Tamil Nadu as normal water availability is not there so far,” CWMA chairman Masood Hussain told reporters after the meeting.
Cauvery authority’s order comes as a relief to state
THE Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) direction to the State government to release water to TN if there is an increase in inflow into reservoirs in Cauvery basin in the state, has come as a relief for Karnataka. As on Tuesday, just around 12 tmc feet of water was available in all four reservoirs including KRS and Kabini. Inflow at KRS was just around 253 cusecs, while it was 1,708 cusecs at Kabini, on Tuesday.
State Sugar Cane Growers Association president Kurbur Shantha Kumar welcomed the authority’s decision. He said the authority should have ordered for release of water to irrigation canals to save standing crops, as failure to do so can put the farming community in the state in trouble. KRRS leader Darshan Puttannaiah too welcomed the authority’s directions. While some farmers felt there is no clarity on release of water to irrigation canals in the state, some were unhappy as the state failed to convince the authority to get water for standing crops in the state. “When they could release enough water during the LS polls, why are they not giving water now?” ask farmers.