BackSC tells Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs of Cauvery water
The apex court's direction comes at a time when Karnataka has repeatedly raised concern over low rainfall and an imminent drought
PremiumTamil Nadu has demanded 50 TMC (thousand million cubic) feet of water but, according to senior Karnataka ministers, only around 49 TMC feet of water is left in the state’s dams. Photo: AFP
Bengaluru: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day over the next 10 days to Tamil Nadu to help distressed farmers.
The apex court’s direction comes at a time when Karnataka has repeatedly raised concern over low rainfall and an imminent drought.
The court’s directive is likely to put Karnataka under further pressure as the state is already facing deficient rainfall and dipping water levels in major dams.
Tamil Nadu has demanded 50 TMC (thousand million cubic) feet of water but, according to senior Karnataka ministers, only around 49 TMC feet of water is left in the state’s dams.
On 18 August, Tamil Nadu chief minister J.Jayalalitha had informed the state legislature that the government would file an interim petition in the Supreme Court for the release of Cauvery water.
The Tamil Nadu government has said inadequate volumes of water were released by Karnataka during the months of June, July and August. Karnataka’s minister for water resources, M.B. Patil, had earlier told Mint that nearly 30 TMC feet of water was released in those three months.
Patil said Karnataka was already releasing about 6,000-7,000 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu.
The Karnataka government—facing its second successive drought year—has already put regulations in place on water-intensive crops such as sugarcane and paddy in order to conserve water for drinking.
The state government has formed a sub-committee to look into the details of the situation and survey areas that are expected to be hit the hardest by water shortage.
The Karnataka government will wait until September before making any potential declaration of drought as this is usually done after the end of the crop year, Mint reported on 18 August.
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