Copious rains in Cauvery catchment areas seem to be providing the much-needed relief, though temporary, to the DK Shivakumar Government, which had landed in a quandary after a sudden flare-up in the river water-sharing dispute.
Till Friday, the situation was grim, forcing Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to postpone a meeting with his Tamil Nadu counterpart C Joseph Vijay. However, things have improved in the past 24 hours.
The initial setback to the state came on July 28, when the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directed it to ensure a daily flow of 3,500 cusecs at Biligundlu, a gauging station on the inter-state border, for 15 days – totalling around 4 tmcft.
Karnataka appealed to the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to keep the CWRC’s directions in abeyance for a fortnight and review the hydrological situation. However, on July 30, the CWMA upheld the CWRC decision.
Now, increased inflows into the KRS and Kabini dams would enable the government to comply with CWRC and CWMA directions. On Saturday, inflows at KRS and Kabini reservoirs increased significantly owing to rains, and officials are expecting the same to continue for the next two to three days.
Officials said around 10,000 cusecs was released from the Kabini and a flood warning was also issued as water level increased. Around 3-4 tmcft of water is likely to be released over the next few days.
The heavy downpour in Wayanad in Kerala and Kodagu and other places in the state helped ease the situation, which had intensified with farmers and Kannada activists demanding that the State Government not follow the directions of CWRC and CWMA. They have called for a state bandh on August 13, when the State Legislature session is set to start.
Making their intent to corner the government clear, opposition BJP leaders had staged a protest at the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) dam near Mysuru. The BJP accused the government of failing to protect the state’s interests.
In the past few weeks, low water levels in the reservoirs in the Cauvery basin and protests by farmers had made it difficult for the state to comply with the directions of the statutory bodies.
At the CWMA meeting on July 30, Karnataka contended that inflows were 65.65% below the 30-year average due to the Super El Niño and the state must conserve about 40 tmcft to safeguard drinking water needs till June 2027. But that had failed to convince the CWMA.
Ensuring 3,500 cusecs at Biligundlu would require Karnataka to release nearly 7,000 cusecs due to conveyance losses and dry river conditions. That may not be a concern anymore.
Without increased inflows, any move to comply with CWMA’s directions risked antagonising farmers and members of several organisations supporting them, which would not bode well for the government’s image.
It is already facing the ire of a section of farmers over the acquisition of agricultural lands for the development of a township near Bidadi on the outskirts of Bengaluru. That apart, farmers in several other parts of the state are in distress due to drought-like conditions.
In the meantime, the government is striving to build political consensus and the CM has convened a meeting of all-party leaders on Sunday. The government could explain the on-ground situation and seek suggestions to bolster the state’s case.
While rains provided a brief respite to the current crisis, the Union Government’s stand on the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir project came as a significant long-term relief for the state. Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary recently clarified that Karnataka need not obtain consent from Tamil Nadu, Kerala or the Union Territory of Puducherry for the Mekedatu project.
Tamil Nadu’s consent was the major hurdle for the project with a storage capacity of 67 tmcft to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and generate 400 MW power. The government can now proceed with its implementation after obtaining necessary clearances from the Union Government.
Had the Cauvery crisis escalated, it could have cast a shadow over the likely cabinet expansion. The government is facing flak over not having ministers in charge of several key departments, including Agriculture and Education. Earlier this week, state Congress leaders, including the CM, were in New Delhi for three days to get the high command’s approval for the ministry expansion. But the suspense continues.
As State Congress President BK Hariprasad aptly put it, “Our high command leaders have held discussions with all of us, including Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, former CM Siddaramaiah and me. We have completed the examination and are waiting for results. I think the results will be announced soon.”
Well, the results may be announced soon, but that should not become yet another test for the government, which has just tided over the Cauvery crisis, thanks to nature’s blessings.