The Karnataka government is required to supply 177.25 TMC of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu annually, as mandated by the Cauvery Management Authority. However, Karnataka has consistently failed to deliver the allocated monthly water quotas.
During the monsoon season, Karnataka has been opening surplus water flows but has not adhered to its monthly water allocation obligations. In July and August, heavy rainfall filled the reservoirs in Karnataka, including the Harangi, Hemavati, Kabini, and K.R.S. dams, allowing the state to release substantial amounts of surplus water to Tamil Nadu.
As a result, between June and September, Karnataka released 204 TMC of surplus floodwater to Tamil Nadu, whereas only 123 TMC was supposed to be provided during this period. This means that an additional 81.6 TMC of water was received by Tamil Nadu beyond its allocation.
In September alone, Karnataka was expected to release 36.7 TMC of water but only managed to release 27.6 TMC, leaving a shortfall of 9.14 TMC. Currently, the water level in the Mettur Dam has decreased to 57.4 TMC.
Daily, 1.29 TMC of water is being released from the dam to meet the irrigation and drinking water needs of the delta districts. However, if the northeast monsoon fails, there is a significant risk that the dam could run dry in the next 45 days, posing a challenge to meet the drinking water needs during the summer.
This situation highlights the urgent need for Tamil Nadu to formally request its allocated water from Karnataka. However, during meetings of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, officials from the Karnataka Water Resources Department have presented accounts suggesting that more water has been released than the annual allocation for Tamil Nadu.