Cauvery water sharing dispute | Authority reiterates CWRC’s direction to Karnataka to continue releasing water to Tamil Nadu

This was decided at an emergency meeting held against the backdrop of Karnataka’s refusal to comply with the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s latest direction

The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on September 18 reiterated the decision of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, asking Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water to Tamil Nadu for another 15 days.

This was decided at an emergency meeting of the Authority presided by Saumitra Kumar Haldar, chairman of the CWMA.  The meeting was held against the backdrop of Karnataka’s refusal to comply with the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) ’s latest direction on September 12.

Mr Haldar told The Hindu over phone from New Delhi that the Authority had taken into account all the factors such as hydrological conditions, Meteorological Department’s forecast and water requirements. “At the end, we have decided to endorse the CWRC’s direction,” he observed, adding that the situation would be reviewed by the Committee at the end of the 15-day-period, beginning from September 13. 

He acknowledged that while Karnataka had expressed inability to release water, as asked by the Committee, Tamil Nadu had wanted much more. 

Pointing out the meeting lasted nearly two hours, a representative of the Tamil Nadu team said the State had demanded that 12,500 cusecs be released.