Tamil Nadu, Karnataka fight for Cauvery

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Is Tamil Nadu heading for a major standoff with Karnataka on the Cauvery river water issue this summer? Perhaps, yes should be the answer if one were to go by the water level in reservoirs in the Cauvery basin of both states.

Add to that the statements of Karnataka leaders who do not want a single drop of water to be given to Tamil Nadu this summer.

The delta farmers fear that water release, scheduled for June 12 from Mettur Stanley reservoir for the ensuing kuruvai season, might be delayed this year.

As on date, the reservoir has 40.527 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water, 35 tmcft less than last year, while Kabini and Krishnarajasagar in Karnataka have 9.8 tmcft and 20 tmcft, against their full capacity of 19 tmcft and 48 tmcft.

Though chief minister J. Jayalalithaa has written to her Karnataka counterpart seeking immediate water release, experts are sceptical as TN has received only 197.5 tcmft, which is 3.4 tmcft less than the 200.9 tmcft the state is eligible for, as on Tuesday.

As per the interim award of the Cauvery water disputes tribunal, TN is entitled to 205 tmcft a year starting from June and ending in May.

Last year, Karnataka released 222 tmcft as the Cauvery was in spate, enabling TN to advance water release from Mettur by a week.

Delta farmers have none but their counterparts in Karnataka and the government there to blame, for they took up large-scale summer cultivation in violation of the tribunal orders, reasoned Mr Arupathy Kalyanam, general secretary of the federation of lawyers associations, Cauvery delta district.

Karnataka reservoirs are full after the southwest monsoon, but the water level falls drastically by early March owing to summer cultivation, he reasoned. Karnataka only releases surplus water and does not comply with the tribunal order, TN toddy movement convener C. Nallasamy said demanding immediate nationalisation of all rivers.

With rains unlikely in the Cauvery catchment areas during the summer or till the onset of the monsoon early June, TN water resource organisation experts predict no further appreciation in the water level in Mettur dam.

They also admitted to Deccan Chronicle that water release could be deferred this June owing to low storage. However, water has been released for delta irrigation even when the water level was 60 ft, but that would not help if the monsoon gets delayed.

parched reservoirs await bountiful rain

Storage as on date (tmcft)

Full capacity (tmcft)

Reservoir

Mettur (TN) 40.527 93.47
Kabini (k’tka) 9.8 19
Krishnarajasagar 20 48
(Karnataka)