Even as the water row intensifies between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC), headed by the Union water secretary, on Thursday found that both the states are in “distress” while ordering the release of 8.85 TMC of water from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu for a period of 15 days.
The Committee, which held a meeting with representatives of the governments of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puduchery, said its order came after considering the importance of the crops in both the states.
Later, speaking to reporters, Union water secretary D.V. Singh, who chaired the meeting, said the Committee’s decision was on the basis of the assessment of the central team, which recently visited both states.
“There is requirement of water in both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Both states have accepted the quantum of water the Committee has determined to release,” he said, while adding that much of it will rest on the political decision by the respective states.
While Karnataka has standing crop, Tamil Nadu has sown crop, the CMC observed, relying on the field report of the central team comprising top officials of the Union water ministry and the Central Water Commission.
The Committee said Tamil Nadu is entitled to receive 8.85 TMC of water between October 15 and 31. The Committee will meet again on October 29 to determine the quantum of water to be released for the next 15 days beginning November 1.
At the meeting, though Karnataka submitted that it was not in a position to release any water from its reservoirs, it said that it would be “entirely possible” for Tamil Nadu to receive the determined quantum of water (8.85 TMC) “without any release from the reservoir”.
Later, in a press note, officials of the Karnataka government said the CMC order had “explicitly recognised” that the water could come from the intermediate catchment if not from the reservoirs, which meant that Karnataka would not have to release water from reservoirs if there was sufficient rain in the catchment.
Not going into the controversy on the reported stoppage of water by Karnataka, the Committee said the previous shortfall, if any, needed to be raised before the appropriate judicial fora.