Cauvery Water Management Authority directs Karnataka to release 40 TMC ft water to Tamil Nadu for June, July

New Delhi: The Cauvery Water Management Authority on Tuesday directed Karnataka to release 9.19 TMC feet of water for June and 31.24 TMC feet of water for July to Tamil Nadu as per the monthly schedule finalised by the water Tribunal and modified by the Supreme Court. [caption id=“attachment_4355159” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] The decision was taken at a meeting of the CWMA presided over by Chairman Masood Hussain, which decided that in respect of quantum of water to be released to Puducherry the existing arrangement between Puducherry and Tamil Nadu will continue. Hussain told the media later that the authority reviewed the hydrometeorological situation in the Cauvery basin and it was observed that the rainfall has been deficient. Monsoon has got delayed and the overall rainfall this year has also been deficient, he said. It was noted that the rainfall was deficient during the period from 1 June to 20 June in the catchments of Krishnaraja Sagar and Kabini reservoir. It was also observed that during the period, the four reservoirs of Karnataka received cumulative inflows of about 1.77 TMC upto 24 June and cumulative flow in Biligundlu site in Tamil Nadu as on 23 June was 1.88 TMC. “The matter was deliberated in detail and the authroites resolved that Karnataka should release water for the months of June and July as per the monthly schedule mentioned in the final order of Tribunal and modified by the Supreme Court subject to the inflows being normal,” he said. Asked about the release of water by Karnataka less than what was directed in the last meeting, Hussain said that the conditions were subject to inflows being reviewed, “Let us hope for better rainfall,” he said. Earlier, Tamil Nadu demanded the release of the entire quantity of 9.19 TMC feet of water for June and 31.24 TMC feet of water for July from Karnataka. It also demanded that Karnataka should thereafter release water for the remaining months as per the pattern of releases prescribed by the Cauvery River Tribunal and modified by the judgment of the Supreme Court for the irrigation season/water year 2019-20. The state said that it could not open Mettur Dam on the scheduled date of 12 June this year too for Cauvery Delta Irrigation due to non-release of water by Karnataka and poor storage in Mettur Dam.