Cauvery Authority ratifies CWRC’s decision on water release for TN

CWMA approves CWRC's decision to release 2,600 cusecs to TN; Karnataka has 56 tmc ft in four reservoirs; TN sought 13,000 cusecs; Mekedatu project discussed, but not cleared.

The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on Friday gave its approval to the decision of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) asking Karnataka to release 2,600 cubic feet per second  (cusecs) to Tamil Nadu till November 23.

The ratification meant that the upper riparian State would have to release 5.17 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) in the next three weeks. Early this week, when the CWRC took its decision,  Karnataka ’s Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, also in charge of the Water Resources portfolio, said the State did not have any water to release.  As on date, four reservoirs of Karnataka had a combined storage of about 56 tmc ft, according to a post on the social media handle (X) of the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC). 

Friday’s meeting, held in New Delhi and attended physically by representatives of the two principal riparian States, lasted two hours, CWMA chairman Saumitra Kumar Haldar told The Hindu.

Officials of the Kerala and Puducherry governments were present virtually. Tamil Nadu had sought the release of 13,000 cusecs, taking into account the backlog, too. 

Karnataka wanted the Authority to discuss and clear its ₹ 9,000-crore Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir-cum-Drinking Water Project. But “this was opposed by us,” said an official of the Tamil Nadu government. 

Mr. Haldar said that as it was an emergency meeting, “there was no discussion” on the Mekdatu project.  However, he added, the subject would be taken up at a regular meeting of the Authority.