The Cauvery Water Management Authority on Tuesday directed Karnataka to release 9.19 TMC feet of water for June and 31.24 TMC feet of water for July to Tamil Nadu by the Supreme Court.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the CWMA presided over by Chairman Masood Hussain, which decided that in respect of quantum of water to be released to Puducherry the existing arrangement between Puducherry and Tamil Nadu will continue.
Hussain told the media later that the authority reviewed the hydrometeorological situation in the Cauvery basin and it was observed that the rainfall has been deficient. Monsoon has got delayed and the overall rainfall this year has also been deficient, he said.
It was noted that the rainfall was deficient during the period from June 1 to June 20 in the catchments of Krishnaraja Sagar and Kabini reservoir.
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It was also observed that during the period, the four reservoirs of Karnataka received cumulative inflows of about 1.77 TMC upto June 24 and cumulative flow in Biligundlu site in Tamil Nadu as on June 23 was 1.88 TMC.
“The matter was deliberated in detail and the authorities resolved that Karnataka should release water for the months of June and July as per the monthly schedule mentioned in the final order of Tribunal and modified by the Supreme Court subject to the inflows being normal,” he said.
Asked about the release of water by Karnataka less than what was directed in the last meeting, Hussain said that the conditions were subject to inflows being reviewed, “Let us hope for better rainfall,” he said.
Earlier, Tamil Nadu demanded the release of the entire quantity of 9.19 TMC feet of water for June and 31.24 TMC feet of water for July from Karnataka. It also demanded that Karnataka should thereafter release water for the remaining months as per the pattern of releases prescribed by the Cauvery River Tribunal and modified by the judgement of the Supreme Court for the irrigation season/water year 2019-20. The state said that it could not open Mettur Dam on the scheduled date of June 12 this year too for Cauvery Delta Irrigation due to non-release of water by Karnataka and poor storage in Mettur Dam.
(with inputs from ANI)