BENGALURU: The Karnataka government has decided to challenge the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) direction to Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily for 15 days (4 tmcft) to Tamil Nadu, before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA). CWRC’s direction on Tuesday came as a shocker to the state that is already facing a deficit rainfall and water levels in reservoirs, especially in the Cauvery basin, remaining extremely low.
Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy told The New Indian Express that the state has water only to meet drinking needs and nothing more. “We are not in a position to release any more water now. I directed our officials to get ready to file an appeal against the order. We will file the appeal either on Wednesday or Thursday,’’ he said.
Reddy has called a meeting with senior officials from the Water Resource Department in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Earlier in the day in New Delhi, Reddy had said he would discuss the issue with Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
Inflows to dams below 30-yr average
At the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) meeting on Tuesday, Karnataka submitted that cumulative inflows into the four Cauvery reservoirs were at 65.86%, which is below 30-year average. The state also mentioned that the existing reservoir storage is barely sufficient to meet drinking water needs and the state is not in a position to release water beyond essential domestic requirements. “There is a water deficit. If we had not received rain 15 days ago, the situation would have turned bad. But we received some rain and there is no problem for drinking. We have water only for drinking now,” he said.
As per the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) data, the Cauvery basin reservoirs had 108.68 tmcft of storage the same day last year (July 28). But this year, it has reduced to 63.23 tmcft. The Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir had 47.79 tmcft of water last year, and this year, it is 17.04 tmcft.
Angry over the CWRC direction, farmers from the Old Mysuru region, where the Cauvery river is the lifeline, have started protests, while opposition leaders accused the state government of failing to effectively present the state’s case before CWRC.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka alleged that the Congress government failed to protect Karnataka’s interests despite severe drought conditions and depleting reservoir levels. He urged DK Shivakumar to immediately convene a meeting of officials and legal experts and file an appeal against the CWRC directions. He claimed that the state’s current water crisis is because of the government’s earlier decision to release Cauvery water. He warned that any move to release water to Tamil Nadu, ruled by Congress ally TVK, would spark public protests and urged the government to strongly defend Karnataka’s interests.
At the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee meeting, Karnataka contended that to ensure 3,500 cusecs at Biligundlu, the state may have to release 6,000-7,000 cusecs from KRS and Kabini reservoirs. The flow at Biligundlu is affected by riverbed moisture, bank storage, groundwater levels and channel losses.
VIJAY WRITES TO PM OVER CENTRE’S REPLY ON MEKEDATU
Taking strong exception to the Union MoS for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary’s reply on the Mekedatu project, TN CM C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday urged PM Modi to direct its immediate withdrawal, saying it ignored the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the settled legal position.
On July 27, Choudhary, responding to a query from PMK president and Rajya Sabha MP Anbumani Ramadoss, stated that the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment on the Cauvery dispute did not expressly require Karnataka to obtain the consent of the lower riparian states before constructing a structure across the river. The development comes a week ahead of Vijay’s proposed meeting with his Karnataka counterpart DK Shivakumar in Bengaluru.
MEKEDATU PROJECT TO BEGIN SOON: RAMALINGA
Karnataka Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy told reporters in New Delhi that hurdles to the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project are being cleared and the construction is likely to begin soon as the Centre’s approval is expected shortly. He said the Supreme Court has not accepted TN’s objections and a detailed project report will be resubmitted to the Centre after minor revisions.
He reiterated that the consent from neighbouring states is not required to construct a dam. He said the government is exploring allocating land near Mandya to compensate for the forest land to be submerged and the cabinet is expected to decide soon. “TN CM Vijay Joseph is expected to meet CM DK Shivakumar on August 3 to discuss the issue,’’ he said.