Karnataka refuses to release Cauvery water to TN

Bengaluru: Karnataka on Thursday refused to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu due to low storage in its reservoir and poor inflow.

In the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) meeting held here, Tamil Nadu said it has received only 1.72 tmc feet of water from Karnataka from June 1st to June 18 out of 9,19 tmc feet of prescribed quota for the month of June. However, Karnataka said it was not in a position to release any more water to Tamil Nadu as there was low storage in its reservoirs.

When Tamil Nadu demanded that Karnataka should release prescribed June quota of water, Karnataka said due to poor monsoon inflow to its reservoirs very poor. If rainfall improves, the state could take a call on this issue, Karnataka officials explained.

In the meeting, which was chaired by Naveen Kumar, Chief Engineer of Central Water Commission, the Indian Meteorological Department official briefed that there was deficient rainfall in Cauvery basin area in Karnataka from June 1st to 20.

Emerging out of the meeting, Naveen Kumar told reporters that the Committee decided to update the water storage and monsoon situation in Cauvery basin region to the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) for further action. The CWMA meeting scheduled on June 25.

In the May 28th meeting of the CWMA, it was decided that Karnataka should release 9.19 tmc of June quota of water to Tamil Nadu. Karnataka also agreed to honour the CWMA decision if monsoon was normal.

Karnataka Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said that storage in Cauvery basin reservoirs in Karnataka was low and inflow is just 1.5 tmc feet due to weak monsoon.