BENGALURU: Despite strong opposition from farmers’ organisations and opposition parties, the Karnataka government has started releasing water to Tamil Nadu from Tuesday night to comply with the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) direction to release 5,000 cusecs of water per day for 15 days.
The state irrigation department officials are keen on ensuring that 5,000 cusecs of water reach Billigundlu gauging station on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border per day and have started discharging 4,398 cusecs of water from Krishnaraja Sagar Reservoir and 2,000 cusecs of water from Kabini Reservoir from Tuesday night.
The KRS has 24 tmcft of water including 15 tmcft of live storage and 13 tmcft of water in Kabini including 3 tmcft of live storage. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the state has opposed Tamil Nadu’s demand for 24,000 cusecs of water per day and has apprised the CWMA on the ground situation following its direction to release 5,000 cusecs of water per day for 15 days.
He said the government will continue its legal battle to protect Karnataka farmers and to meet the state’s drinking water needs. Meanwhile, farmers in Mandya protested against the release of water from KRS accusing the state government of betraying the interests of farmers.
Sharing of records will ensure better access
The revenue department is also thinking of sharing land records and mutation data with departments like rural department, municipal, and administration and housing and urban development departments. This would be helpful in seamless access of OSR land data, roads, and land details of public utilities, government and local bodies.
The government is planning to set up a panel to ensure the effective use of land record database for better public service delivery. The panel will be headed by the revenue secretary and have 14 members. It would focus on Aadhaar seeding of records in survey and registration departments and sharing of land records data.
Discharge from Tue
K’taka officials have started discharging 4,398 cusecs of water from KRS and 2,000 cusecs of water from Kabini Reservoir from Tuesday night