CHENNAI: Karnataka released 12,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu from the Kabini reservoir on Saturday, following heavy rainfall in the reservoir’s catchment areas even as the Cauvery water-sharing row between the two states continues. The water is expected to reach the Biligundlu gauging station on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border by Monday, and the Mettur reservoir by Tuesday or Wednesday, officials said, though the exact arrival time could vary depending on river conditions.
“The catchment areas along the Cauvery basin between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have remained dry for several days. As a result, the flow of water may be slower than usual. We also have to take evaporation losses into account. It is not possible to accurately estimate the travel time of the water at this stage,” a senior Water Resources Department (WRD) official told TNIE.
Another WRD official said that Kabini’s storage has climbed steadily over the past month on the back of continuous rainfall, from 26.59% of its 19,516 mcft capacity on July 1, with an inflow of 1,988 cusecs, to 61.63% by July 15.
The storage went up to 82.65% by July 31, when inflow had risen to 9,133 cusecs. Despite this rise, the official said, Karnataka had held off releasing water even after repeated directions from the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), delaying the release until Saturday.
The official said Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar reportedly held a high-level meeting with the Water Resources Minister and senior officials in Bengaluru ahead of Saturday’s all-party meeting on the Cauvery issue, as inflows into the Krishna Raja Sagara reservoir also rose following heavy rain across the Cauvery catchment.
With both Kabini and Krishna Raja Sagara nearing full capacity, Karnataka may have to release more water in the coming days if inflows continue, bringing relief for farmers and residents downstream in TN tracking the Mettur reservoir’s levels ahead of the delta cropping season.
Mettur, meanwhile, held 35.774 tmcft on Saturday — 38.27% of its 93.470 tmcft capacity — with officials closely monitoring the inflow situation.