Karnataka to decide on Cauvery water release after CM consultations

Karnataka will decide on the CWRC's direction to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu after consulting Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. The State cited poor monsoon, low reservoir levels and drinking water needs, while considering an appeal before the CWMA

New Delhi/Bengaluru: Karnataka Water Resources Minister, Ramalinga Reddy, on Tuesday said the State government would take a decision on the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee’s (CWRC) direction to release water to Tamil Nadu only after consultations with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Reddy said the CWRC had directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu for 15 days following a meeting of the Cauvery authorities.

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“There was a meeting of the Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority today, and Karnataka has been directed to release 3,500 cusecs of water every day for 15 days. We require nearly 6 TMC of water ourselves. We also have the option of filing an appeal before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), and a decision will be taken after discussing the matter with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar,” he said.

The Minister stressed that Karnataka is facing a severe water crisis due to the failure of the southwest monsoon and that the State needs to ensure adequate drinking water supply throughout the year.

“We have not received sufficient rainfall. Our priority is to ensure drinking water for the people for the entire year,” he added.

It can be noted that the CWRC’s directive has come at a time when reservoir levels across the Cauvery basin remain critically low. According to government officials, the Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) reservoir, which has a full capacity of around 46 TMC, currently holds only about 16 TMC of water. Of this, nearly 5 TMC is considered dead storage and cannot be utilized.

With water availability remaining a concern, the State government has already advised farmers against cultivating water-intensive crops dependent on KRS reservoir supplies. Authorities are planning to conserve the available water primarily for drinking purposes, as there is little indication of substantial rainfall in the coming weeks.

The Cauvery River serves as a major source of drinking water for Bengaluru, India’s technology capital, besides catering to the needs of Mysuru and Mandya. The State government is reportedly working on plans to ensure that the available water reserves last until March or April next year.

During the time of Monsoon, the KRS reservoir was supposed to get inflow of 3,000 to 4,000 cusecs of water everyday. However, the reservoir is only getting about 600 cusecs of water instead. The release of water to Tamil Nadu will pose a challenge for Karnataka in ensuring an adequate drinking water supply to Bengaluru during summer.

The CWRC’s order has triggered concern across Karnataka with the State weighing its legal options. The state is expected to decide on filing of an appeal against the order before the CWMA pressing the need to safeguard drinking water supplies amid one of the worst monsoon deficits in recent years.