Cauvery panel asks Karnataka to give tn 3k cusecs for 16 Days
NEW DELHI: The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) on Wednesday directed Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 16 days more, from October 16 to October 31, despite objection from Karnataka government which said the state is facing drought-like condition due to deficit monsoon in the Cauvery basin.
T D Sharma, member-secretary of CWRC, chaired the 88th meeting of the committee held in New Delhi in which officials from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry took part. In its last meeting held on 26 September, the CWRC had directed Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs of water to TN for 15 days till October 15, 2023. “In monsoon deficit year, based on availed data, we have to distribute water on pro rata basis,” said Vineet Gupta, member, CWRC.
Tamil Nadu also raised the issue of getting the shortfall water immediately and sharing of water with Karnataka as per a distress formula. According to the calculation of CWRC, there is a shortfall of 16.248 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of cumulative flows to be realised at Biligundulu between June 1 and October 10, 2023. The committee said Karnataka will release the water shortfall owed to Tamil Nadu once the storage position in reservoirs improves.
168 cusecs of water for Karaikal
KarnaARNAtaka government made a submission that there was 50.89% shortfall in cumulative inflows into Karnataka’s four reservoirs between June 1 and October 10, 2023. We have already declared 161 taluks as severely drought affected and 34 taluks as moderately drought affected, Karnataka said.
Keeping in view the meteorological conditions in the Cauvery basin, storage positions, inflows and outflows of eight designated reservoirs, sown areas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and availability of drinking water for Karnataka, the committee directed the Karnataka to ensure release from its reservoirs, so that 3,000 cusecs of water can be realised at Biligundulu by TN till October 31, 2023.
The commission has set up a water measuring station at Biligundulu on the interstate border. The CWRC also directed TN to release 168 cusecs of water for Karaikal in Puducherry.
16.24 tmcft shortfall
TN also raised the issue of getting the shortfall of water owed by Karnataka and sharing of water as per a distress formula