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Review Cauvery body’s order, CM tells Centre
Maqsood Maniyar | NT
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday wrote to Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, requesting the overturning of the orders of the Cauvery regulatory authorities asking Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu.
The CM told Shekhawat that the state cannot honour the order without compromising on the interests of its own farmers, besides drinking water and industrial needs since this monsoon had seen deficit rainfall in the Cauvery basin and elsewhere.
He was referring to the decision taken by the Cauvery Water Management Committee that Karnataka should ensure 5,000 cusecs of water is released every day for the next 15 days at the Biligundlu water measuring station in Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu.
There was also an all-party meet on the issue earlier in the day.
“The decision of CWRC (Cauvery Water Regulation Committee) needing Karnataka to release water from KRS and Kabini, put together, so as to realise 5,000 cusecs at Biligundlu for the next 15 days cannot be practically implemented without endangering the interests of the farmers for irrigation and human and livestock dependent on the Cauvery River system for drinking water,” Siddaramaiah wrote.
“Therefore, it is requested to move the CWMA (Cauvery Water Management Authority) to consider the plea of Karnataka and to review the decision of CWRC which has directed Karnataka to release 5000 cusecs for next 15 days so that Karnataka is relieved of the burden,” he added.
Inflow deficit huge: Siddaramaiah
The CM pointed out that the inflows into the state’s reservoirs from June to August 11 had been 104.273 Thousand Million Cubic Feet (TMCFT) in comparison to the last thirty year average of 228.793 TMCFT.
“Karnataka has the commitment of 106.20 TMC comprising 70.20 TMC for irrigation of crops, 33.00 TMC for drinking water from September, 2023 to July,2024 and 3.00 TMC for industrial uses. It has storage of 53.287 TMC in four Karnataka reservoirs on 11.09.2023 ,'' he said.
