CWRC Asks Karnataka to Release 9000 Cusecs of Cauvery Water to Tamil Nadu

The Cauvery water dispute has taken another turn after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee recommended that Karnataka maintain a daily flow of 9000 cusecs at Biligundlu for the next 15 days.

The direction is scheduled to take effect from 8 am on August 25, with Karnataka asked to release water from its reservoirs to maintain the required flow at the interstate border. Over the 15 day period, the flow at Biligundlu is expected to total around 11.66 TMC.

The recommendation was made during the committees 141st meeting in New Delhi after officials from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu presented their respective positions on the availability and requirement of Cauvery water.

Karnataka told the committee that inflows into its four major Cauvery basin reservoirs have fallen considerably. According to the states submission, current inflows are around 49.18 percent lower than the average recorded over the past 30 years.

The state also pointed out that it had already released about 216993 cusecs through Biligundlu between July 29 and August 23. This included water released above the stipulated quantity for the period.

Karnataka further argued that reservoir inflows had dropped sharply from around 77048 cusecs to 9282 cusecs. Against this backdrop, state officials said maintaining a continuous release of 12000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu would be difficult.

Tamil Nadu, meanwhile, pressed for the release of 17.49 TMC that it considers pending. It also sought directions for Karnataka to release water from the KRS and Kabini reservoirs so that the required flow could be maintained at Biligundlu.

Tamil Nadu argued that its share should not be affected entirely by the prevailing water shortage and sought a larger release during the 15 day period.

After considering the reservoir storage position, data from Central Water Commission monitoring stations and the expected inflows over the coming days, the CWRC settled on the 9000 cusecs recommendation.

Under the decision, Karnataka will have to ensure a daily flow of 9000 cusecs at Biligundlu from August 25 for 15 days. The decision amounts to an expected 11.66 TMC flow during the period.

The latest recommendation adds another chapter to the ongoing Cauvery dispute. Karnataka has faced successive directions on water releases, with earlier recommendations involving 3000 cusecs and later 12000 cusecs.

Attention now turns to the upcoming meeting of the Cauvery Water Management Authority, where the latest water sharing issue is expected to be discussed further.