'Not feasible release any water from reservoirs in Karnataka to Tamil Nadu after September 12', SC told on Cauvery dispute

The rejoinder has been filed by the additional chief secretary Department of Water Resources. Karnataka said the state of Tamil Nadu has to be blamed for its present problems. It said that the State of Karnataka is facing a severe drought situation both in the Cauvery and Krishna basins, putting a heavy burden on the government. Reports ETV Bharat's Sumit Saxena

New Delhi: The Karnataka government has filed a fresh response in the Supreme Court saying that it is facing a severe drought situation both in the Cauvery and Krishna basins, putting a heavy burden on the state government and it may not be feasible to further release any water from reservoirs in Karnataka to Tamil Nadu after September 12.

The rejoinder has been filed by the additional chief secretary Department of Water Resources. Karnataka said the state of Tamil Nadu has to be blamed for its present problems.

The rejoinder said that the State of Karnataka is facing a severe drought situation both in the Cauvery and Krishna basins, putting a heavy burden on the government.

“In the Cauvery basin, at present on 04.09.2023, the live storage is 56.043 tmc. The expected inflows are about 40 TMC. As against this kitty or available water, the requirement of Karnataka in the remaining part of the season taking 11.08.2023 as the base is 140 TMC as submitted before CWMA (Cauvery Water Management Authority). Therefore, I submit that it may not be feasible to further release any water from the reservoirs in Karnataka after 12.09.2023 i.e., after complying with the directions of the CWMA meeting held on 29.08.2023 without risking the needs of Karnataka”, said the rejoinder.

The rejoinder said that the discussion in the CWMA minutes that distress in the Cauvery basin is 60.12% is correct. “I submit that the distress in the whole Cauvery basin of Karnataka is much more than 60.12%. The shortfall of rainfall itself is about 66% in the catchment below the reservoirs in Karnataka and the interstate border. As a result of a shortfall of rain to the extent of 66%, the inflow contribution from this part of the catchment which is about 45% of 177.25 TMC during the normal year may be about 80% or more”, it said.

The rejoinder said the calculation of the shortfall of 8.988 TMC by the CWMA, wholly based on the shortfall in the four reservoirs of Karnataka is not correct and misleading.“Such incorrectly estimated shortfall cannot be a basis for the estimation of distress or directing releases from the state of Karnataka”, said the rejoinder.

Karnataka urged the apex court to dismiss the prayer of the State of Tamil Nadu, as the demand of Tamil Nadu for a supply of water of 24,000 cusecs per day is wholly unjustified and it is based on a completely erroneous assumption that this water year of 2023-24 is a normal water year.

Karnataka said it ensured for a period of six days, from August 29 to September 3, the average flows realized at Biligundulu is 37, 869 cusecs against 30,000 cusecs.

Last week, the CWMA informed the Supreme Court that Karnataka has fulfilled its directions by releasing a total of 149898 cusecs of water at Biligundulu from August 12, 2023, to August 26, 2023. The CWMA said it has directed Karnataka to ensure the realization of flows at Biligundulu at the rate of 5000 cusecs, starting from 29.08.2023 (8.00 AM) for the next 15 days.

On August 25, the apex court asked CWMA to submit its report as to whether the directions issued by it for the discharge of water have been complied with or not. “In the meantime, the orders with regard to the discharge of the water for next fortnight will also be available”, said the apex court, while seeking a report from CWMA. The top court will hear the matter tomorrow.

Tamil Nadu moved the apex court seeking a direction to Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs of Cauvery water forthwith from its reservoirs at Billigundulu for the remaining period of the month, starting from August 14.