A Cauvery bonus from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu

By Rajashekara S

Karnataka has released more than its share of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu in the first two months due to continued good monsoon rain across the basin.

As per the February 16 Supreme Court order, Karnataka was to release 9.19 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) and 31.24 tmc ft for the months of June and July respectively, to Tamil Nadu.


Additional water released every month would be considered and added to the subsequent months.

As per the SC order, Karnataka has to release 177.25 tmc ft water per year as against the 192 tmc ft mentioned in the final award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal. Karnataka got the additional 14.75 tmc ft water of which 4.7 tmc ft is for drinking water needs of Bengaluru.

A senior official in the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama told Bangalore Mirror that the state had released 13.29 tmc ft water to Tamil Nadu as measured at the Biligundalu reservoir in Tamil Nadu where the Central Water Commission has set up a water measuring facility.

This means, Karnataka released an additional 4.1 tmc ft water to Tamil Nadu in June.

For July, Karnataka has already released 14.72 tmc ft and need to release just 12.42 tmc ft in the next two weeks.

The official said that since the monsoon rain continue to be good in the Cauvery basin, Karnataka would release more water even this month.

Move to safer places

In view of continued heavy monsoon rain and increased inflow into Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir (KRS), the government has people living on both sides
of the river move to safer places. The government has also asked people here to to take steps to protect their property, goods and livestock as the water levels have increased.


Reservoir Levels

KSR Levels 121.40 feet
(Capacity 124.80 feet)

Mettur in TN 75 feet
(Capacity 79 feet)