Bengaluru, Sep 24 — Karnataka Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy on Thursday said the state cannot accept the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s (CWRC) directive to release 4,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu, citing drought conditions and water shortage.
He said the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) upheld the directive without considering Karnataka’s ground realities, including rainfall deficit and declining reservoir levels.
“The water available with us has reduced further. How can we release 4,000 cusecs now?” he asked.
Cheluvarayaswamy said Karnataka had submitted detailed data on shortages in the KRS, Kabini, Hemavathi and Harangi reservoirs, declining inflows, and poor rainfall.
The state requested reducing the release to 3,000 cusecs, adding that 2,500 cusecs would flow naturally downstream.
“In the midst of a Super El Nino and drought conditions, how is it possible to release water? Our neighbouring state Tamil Nadu should also understand this situation,” he said, stressing that drinking water needs in Bengaluru and Cauvery basin towns were the government’s priority.
He said Karnataka would present its concerns before the tribunal and consult legal experts, including the Advocate General, on the next steps.
According to the state, the four reservoirs together hold only 49.775 TMC of water, 47.60 per cent of capacity. Karnataka requires 29 TMC for drinking water, 10 TMC for environmental flows, and 23.40 TMC for standing kharif crops.
Rainfall between June 1 and September 22 was 406.5 mm against the normal 643.4 mm, amounting to 63.18 per cent of normal. Inflows into reservoirs declined to around 2,200 cusecs. Karnataka said 71 per cent of taluks in the Cauvery basin, covering 75 per cent of the area, had been declared drought-hit.
Between July 29 and September 23, Karnataka released 4,47,182 cusecs (38.637 TMC) at Biligundulu, exceeding the stipulated 4,21,500 cusecs by 25,682 cusecs (2.219 TMC).
The state cited the impact of Super El Nino on the southwest monsoon and forecasts of heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu during the northeast monsoon.
Karnataka argued that Tamil Nadu has 52.177 TMC of water in its reservoirs and remains in a comfortable position even without additional releases.
It urged authorities to reduce the stipulated release to 3,000 cusecs, considering justice, equity, and natural flows expected during the northeast monsoon.