Karnataka says releasing 12,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu ‘difficult’

The Karnataka government has said it would be difficult to release 12,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily to Tamil Nadu, as directed by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), and indicated that it would place its objections before the Supreme Court. Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said on Wednesday that the quantum ordered was difficult for the state to release and that the government would decide its next course of action after the Supreme Court hears Tamil Nadu’s petition on Thursday.

Karnataka weighs next move

The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC), at its meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday, directed Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water every day to Tamil Nadu for 15 days. The Cauvery Water Management Authority subsequently upheld the recommendation.

The release is to be measured at Biligundlu on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border and continue for 15 days from August 12. Reddy said Karnataka would explain its position before the Supreme Court and stressed that the state government would ensure that its interests were protected.

The latest development has once again brought the decades-old Cauvery water-sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to the forefront, with water availability and the requirements of farmers remaining key points of contention.

Tamil Nadu has approached the Supreme Court seeking the release of its share of Cauvery water, with the matter scheduled to come up for hearing on Thursday. Karnataka is expected to cite its own requirements while challenging the amount it has been directed to release.

Farmers stage protests

The order has also triggered protests in parts of Karnataka's Cauvery basin. Farmers have staged demonstrations in districts including Mandya and Mysuru, opposing the release of water to the neighbouring state.

Kannada organisations have also opposed the direction, although groups have been divided over a call for a statewide bandh on the issue.

The latest dispute comes amid concerns in Karnataka over rainfall and reservoir levels. The state has maintained that any decision on releases must take into account the amount of water available as well as its drinking-water and agricultural requirements.

Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, has repeatedly stressed the need for timely releases from Karnataka to protect standing crops in the Cauvery delta.

The two states have been locked in the Cauvery dispute for decades, with the Supreme Court, CWMA and CWRC playing key roles in determining and implementing water-sharing arrangements.

With the Supreme Court set to hear Tamil Nadu's plea, Karnataka has indicated that it will use the proceedings to argue against the 12,000-cusec daily release and seek a decision that takes into account the state's water situation.