Cauvery Water Regulation Committee suggests Karnataka to ensure 2,600 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu

Despite Karnataka’s protests that it would not be able to release water to Tamil Nadu, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee recommended on Monday that Karnataka have to ensure release from its reservoirs so that the flows at the rate of 2,600 cusecs are realised at Biligundlu from November 1 to 23.

As the previous order ends on Tuesday, the Cauvery Water Management Authority will convene on Friday to make a final decision regarding the further release.

The Tamil Nadu government demanded during the video conference meeting of the CWRC that Karnataka release 13, 13,000 cusecs for the next 15 days. This would work out to 16.9tmcft.

“The Karnataka government said that they are not in a position to release water. The committee has taken a decision based on the hydro-meteorological condition and rainfall in the catchment areas,” CWRC chairman Vineet Gupta told TOI.

The committee discovered that, up until Friday, there had been very little rain in the area this month due to the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon. It is reported that the department of meteorology has noted that the amount of rain that fell in the Cauvery basin between October 16 and October 27 was below average.

According to sources, Karnataka asked the CWRC to report authorities that it would not be able to release water from its reservoirs to reach the interstate border at Biligundlu due to nearly nonexistent inflows into four reservoirs; instead, water would have to be contributed from uncontrolled catchment areas downstream of the Krishnarajasagar dam.