Cauvery authority orders Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on Friday ordered Karnataka government to release water from its reservoi-rs across Cauvery so that 10,000 cusecs of water would reach Biligundlu, the inter-st-ate border. Officials represen-ting the Tamil Nadu government walked out when the deliberation was on in New Delhi, protesting against the "suggestion to reduce the quantum of water being released under pressure from the Karnataka government," said highly placed sources.
In a statement late in the evening, Tamil Nadu water resources minister Duraimurugan said the Cauvery water regulation committee that met on Thursday decided 15,000 cusecs would be releas-ed for 15 days, but the Karnataka government had chang-ed its stance at the authority meeting on Friday, and categ-orically stated that only 8,000 cusecs would be released to Tamil Nadu until August 22. Karnataka reservoirs have a combined storage of 82% of the total storage capacity of 114.5tmcft. "Karnataka does not have water scarcity. But it is in no mood to release water to Tamil Nadu. There is no option for Tamil Nadu except moving the Supreme Court. The government is determined to move SC soon and get water," the minister said.
The meeting came against the backdrop of allegations from the Tamil Nadu government that Karnataka was not honouring the SC order and directions of the CWMA. "We have decided in the meeting that realization should be of 10,000 cusecs at Biligundlu for the next 15 days beginning tomorrow. The quantum of release from the reservoirs should be much more," CWMA chairman Saumitra Kumar Haldar told TOI.
Tamil Nadu officials told TOI that the authority on Friday had almost decided to issue directions to the Karnataka government to release the same quantum as was decided by the committee the previous day. "But then the Karnataka government said it can release only 8,000 cusecs and not a drop more. The TN officials walked out as the auth-ority was reducing what had been scientifically fixed yesterday by the committee. Wh-atever was suggested too was reduced under pressure from Karnataka. How can Tamil Nadu be a party to the decision?" asked a senior official .
Haldar said Karnataka did not agree to 15,000 cusecs at the committee meeting, whereas Tamil Nadu insisted on more than 15,000 cusecs. “That is why the issue was discussed in today’s authority meeting,” Haldar said.