Now Reading: Karnataka says 12,000 cusecs Cauvery release difficult as SC hears TN plea
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Karnataka says 12,000 cusecs Cauvery release difficult as SC hears TN plea
Karnataka says 12,000 cusecs Cauvery release difficult as SC hears TN plea
The Supreme Court will hear Tamil Nadu's application on Thursday after the state sought an early directive for Karnataka to release 26.95 TMC of Cauvery water, citing a deficit that has left…
The Story in Brief
The Supreme Court will hear Tamil Nadu's application on Thursday after the state sought an early directive for Karnataka to release 26.95 TMC of Cauvery water, citing a deficit that has left farmers in peril. The CWMA on July 30 had ordered Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs for 15 days, but Tamil Nadu says actual flows at Billigundulu were only 158-530 cusecs.
Karnataka, however, says it has complied and even released surplus water during floods. On August 12, the CWRC directed Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs daily for 15 days (about 16 TMC). Karnataka minister Ramalinga Reddy said this is too high, given the state's drinking water needs of 36 TMC a year and low water table in the Cauvery basin. The state will file objections in court.
The Indian Opinion
Two water-starved states arguing over a river is painful but predictable. The easy narrative pits a defaulting Karnataka against a pleading Tamil Nadu, but facts are messier. Karnataka has released surplus floodwater (about 10 TMC) and points to drinking water needs of 36 TMC yearly. Tamil Nadu's demand of 26.95 TMC is based on a pro-rata distress formula the CWMA itself did not endorse fully. The test now is not rhetoric but the Supreme Court’s view on whether the CWMA's 12,000-cusec order is proportionate to actual storage and distress.
Sources (2): thehindubusinessline.com, indiatoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
