Amid the ongoing Cauvery water dispute, the Karnataka government has proposed to release 8,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water daily to Tamil Nadu following an all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday.
This decision follows a recommendation from the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to release 1 thousand million cubic feet (tmc) of Cauvery water. The CWMA meeting held on Thursday, July 11, suggested releasing 1 tmc, equivalent to 11,500 cusecs, daily for 20 days starting Friday, July 12.
Acting on this recommendation, Shivakumar confirmed that Karnataka has agreed to release 8,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu, citing a 30 percent decrease in dam inflow.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah outlined the outcomes of the meeting, stating, “Today’s all-party meeting included Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, BJP leaders, and Mysuru basin representatives. They expressed concerns over water release and appealed to the CWMA. Mohan Katarki, from the legal team, suggested that given the current conditions, we can release 8,000 cusecs of water initially, with the possibility of increasing it if rainfall permits. This decision was collectively made.”
Meanwhile, BJP leader CT Ravi emphasized the dependency on rainfall for water release, saying, “Normally, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee gives its decision in August, but this year it came in July. Last year we faced drought, and this year’s 30 percent rain deficit poses similar challenges. We can release water only if we have it. The volume released will depend on rainfall. With adequate rain, we could potentially release more water than requested by Tamil Nadu.”
The Karnataka government plans to appeal the CWMA’s decision while navigating the complex issue of water distribution amidst climatic uncertainties.