Karnataka ordered to release Cauvery water to TN; state to appeal

The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) on Tuesday (July 28) recommended that Karnataka release 3,500 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days, amounting to nearly 4 TMC in total.

The recommendation was made at the CWRC meeting held in New Delhi. Representatives from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry participated in the meeting, which was conducted virtually.

Karnataka to appeal

The Karnataka government has decided to challenge the CWRC's recommendation before the higher authority, the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).

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Minister for Major and Medium Irrigation Ramalinga Reddy said Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will hold an urgent meeting with senior officials of the Water Resources Department and legal experts to discuss the matter.

Under the rules, Karnataka can appeal against the CWRC's recommendation before the Cauvery Water Management Authority. However, if the authority also directs the state to release water, that decision will be final, leaving Karnataka under pressure to comply.

Committee rejects Karnataka's arguments

Officials from Karnataka's Water Resources Department and a team of experts presented detailed data on the severe rainfall deficit being faced by the state. They informed the committee that, except for the Harangi reservoir, water storage levels in the KRS, Kabini and Hemavathi reservoirs are critically low.

The state government strongly argued that the shortage would affect not only irrigation but also the supply of drinking water to major cities, including Bengaluru. However, the committee did not accept Karnataka's concerns or arguments and directed the state to release water to Tamil Nadu immediately. The recommendation has sparked serious concern among farmers and residents of the Cauvery river basin in Karnataka.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka)