Release 5k cusecs of water a day to TN, panel tells Karnataka

The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) on Tuesday issued an interim order recommending the Karnataka government continue to release 5,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days. The CWRC convened a meeting on Tuesday, attended by officials from both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. After considering inputs from both parties and evaluating the on-ground circumstances, the committee issued a renewed mandate for Karnataka to allocate additional water to Tamil Nadu. On August 28, despite resistance from Karnataka, the CWRC had mandated the state to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for a 15-day period. The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) had subsequently upheld this decision. In response to these directives, farmer’s unions in Karnataka had organise numerous protests in Srirangapatna on August 30, urging the state government to cease the water release immediately. Responding to the CWRC decision, Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, on Tuesday said the state had already released the maximum available water to Tamil Nadu and said the state needs to preserve water for drinking purposes. “Whatever water is there, we have released. We have to store it for drinking water. Without storing the water for drinking, it will be very difficult,” he said. “I’m making it clear that we don’t have water. They [CWRC] have issued the order (recommendation), tomorrow the matter is going before the higher committee — Cauvery Water Management Authority [CWMA], where our secretary will be there, he is a member of it [high committee]. The chief minister [Siddaramaiah] and I discussed the matter in the morning [Tuesday] and we have told our officials that we will not be able to release water,” Shivakumar told reporters.