Will Karnataka release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu after receiving sufficient rain?

The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) has said that Karnataka will not be able to release water to the drought-hit Tamil Nadu due to lack of rain in the Cauvery basin. A review meeting was held in Delhi with representatives from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.

After the officials from Karnataka argued that there is not enough water for even drinking purposes, CWMA director Masood Hussain ruled that Karnataka will release Cauvery water after it receives sufficient rain.

During the CWMA meeting, Tamil Nadu demanded Karnataka to release 31.24tmcft of Cauvery water for July and claimed that the state failed to release June's quota of 9.19tmcft. But Karnataka expressed its inability to release the water by citing that Cauvery basin has recorded a 50 per cent deficit of rain so far.

The four reservoirs — Krishnaraja Sagara (KRS), Harangi, Kabini and Hemavathi — cumulatively received only 1.59tmcft of water between June 1 and 23, compared to 60tmcft of inflow in the same period last year. The live storage of these reservoirs put together is just 13.24tmcft at present; it was 59tmcft last year, reports TOI.

The review meeting was held after farmers demanded the release of water from Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) dam to canals due to the water scarcity faced by Tamil Nadu.