BENGALURU/MYSURU: Amid protests against release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) on Tuesday directed Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs of water to the lower riparian State for 18 days from September 28.
The CWRC issued the directive on the day when the State capital witnessed a near total bandh in response to the call given by farmers and various organisations against releasing water to TN.
“The current order (on releasing 5,000 cusecs daily) will be applicable till September 27.
So, we will discuss the directive with the State’s legal team and take a decision on the action to be taken,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters in Mysuru while responding to a question on the CWRC directive. At the CWRC meeting, Karnataka contended that it is not in a position to release water from its reservoirs to TN.
DKS: Happy CWRC rejected TN’s plea for 12,500 cusecs
As per Karnataka’s submission before the CWRC, cumulative inflows into its four reservoirs up to September 25 is 53.04%. It mentioned that the State Government has declared 161 taluks as severely drought-hit and 34 taluks as moderately drought-hit. Of them, 32 severely drought-hit taluks and 15 moderately drought-hit taluks are in the Cauvery basin of Karnataka.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar said he is happy that the CWRC rejected TN’s plea for release of 12,500 cusecs of water. “Our officials convinced the CWRC about the distress situation in the State. The CWRC directed us to release 3,000 cusecs of water. I am thankful to the committee members for understanding our situation” he said.
As such, 2,000 cusecs of water is flowing towards TN everyday from the command areas of our dams. “We need to release around 1,000 cusecs of water more. It has been raining in the Cauvery basin areas in the State for the last couple of days. We have good inflows now,” he said. Shivakumar said the officials will present the distress situation in the State at the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) meeting to be held soon.
“There is no need for another bandh on Friday,” he added. According to Shivakumar, the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project will be a solution to the Cauvery dispute between Karnataka and TN.
“Mekedatu reservoir is the solution. There is a need to convince the people of Karnataka as well as the Tamil Nadu Gover nment. Even the Supreme Court has mentioned that allowing Karnataka to construct dams should not be a problem as long as it releases 177 tmcft of water to TN,” he said.
This will also help Tamil Nadu as Karnataka will be able to release water in distress situations, he added.
