The Karnataka government has decided to go on an appeal before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) against the order by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) that has asked the State to release 1 tmcft of water a day to Tamil Nadu till the end of this month.
A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of Ministers and officers concerned convened by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru on Friday, July 12.
“We have decided to convene an all-party meeting to take stock of the situation and decide the future course of action,” the Chief Minister told media persons after the meeting.
Water storage in the Harangi reservoir stood at 73%, Hemavati reservoir at 55%, Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) at 54%, and Kabini at 96%.
Agriculture Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy and Ministers in-charge of districts in the Cauvery basin were present at the meeting.
The Karnataka government has decided to go on an appeal before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) against the order by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) that has asked the State to release 1 tmcft of water a day to Tamil Nadu till the end of this month. The government will also convene an all-party meeting on Sunday, July 14, to decide its course of action.
A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of Ministers and officers concerned convened by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru on Friday, July 12. “We have decided to convene an all-party meeting to take stock of the situation and decide the future course of action,” the Chief Minister told media persons after the meeting.
Shortfall of 28%
Despite the forecast of a normal monsoon this time, there is a shortfall of 28% in inflows to all the four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin, he pointed out. Though the State had brought this to the notice of the CWRC and requested it not to make any decision on water release till July-end, the committee on Thursday asked Karnataka to release 1 tmcft of water daily to Tamil Nadu from July 12 to 31, he said. The Ministers and officials who participated in the meeting opined that the State should file an appeal against the CWRC’s order before the CWMA, he noted.
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The Chief Minister said the all-party meeting would be held at 4 p.m. on July 14, the eve of the commencement of the monsoon session of the State legislature. He said there was unanimity on water-related issues in Karnataka cutting across political affiliations. He said the Union Ministers from Karnataka, Members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, and legislators from the Cauvery basin areas will also be invited for the all-party meeting.
About 60 tmcft available
Explaining the present storage position, the Chief Minister said only about 60 tmcft of water was available in all four reservoirs of the Cauvery basin in Karnataka. There was a need to supply water for agricultural purposes too from this storage. In the wake of the deficient situation, the State had appealed to the CWRC to wait till the end of this month before making any decision on water release, he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also holds the Major and Medium Irrigation portfolio, told media persons after the meeting that the cumulative storage of all four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin was only 62% as of now. The shortfall is 28% (compared with the average storage) or 19 tmcft in absolute terms. Water storage in the Harangi reservoir stood at 73%, Hemavati reservoir at 55%, Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) at 54%, and Kabini at 96%.
Asked if water was being released from the Kabini to Tamil Nadu, he said, “The Kabini reservoir is 96% full and water is being released from the dam in accordance with the safety norms.” On whether water will be released for irrigation purposes for farmers in Mandya district’s command area, he said a decision would be taken after the proposed all-party meeting.
Agriculture Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy and Ministers in-charge of districts in the Cauvery basin were present at the meeting.
