Chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on Saturday charged Karnataka with “unjustly utilising” Cauvery water for summer irrigation and urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convene the Cauvery River Authority meeting to discuss the issue.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the chief minister pointed out that Karnataka was not only ensuring the flow in the Cauvery as per the tribunal’s interim and final awards in the crucial months of June to September, but “unjustly” utilising the water for summer irrigation from February to May, by depleting the storage in four major reservoirs.
“Karnataka has been unjustly utilising the water for summer irrigation from February to May by depleting the storage in its four major reservoirs.
The combined gross storage in reservoirs of Karnataka as on February 1, 2012, was 58.50 tmc ft and on May 14, it was 28.176 tmcft,” she pointed out.
“Karnataka had depleted a storage of about 30.33 tmc ft from February to May, besides utilising the flow of about 11 tmc ft. Thus, the total utilisation during the period is about 41 tmc ft,” she said.
Due to depletion of storage during summer, Karnataka “impounds” initial monsoon flow in its dams and released water only when they become surplus.
This affected inflow in Mettur dam which consequently affected the kuruvai crop very badly and also delayed the Samba crop, she said.
Ms Jayalalithaa said finalisation of the distress-sharing formula evolved by the Central Water Commission had been eluding a solution which ultimately deprived Tamil Nadu of adequate water.
Water should have been released by Karnataka either as per the interim order of the tribunal or by the formula evolved.