Karnataka-Tamil Nadu dispute over Cauvery water flares up again
Chennai, July 9:
Karnataka has stated that it is currently unable to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu due to declining rainfall and low storage levels in its reservoirs, Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy stated.
He explained that reservoirs in Karnataka have not filled as expected this monsoon, making it difficult to release water to downstream states. He said, “Due to low rainfall, our dams do not have sufficient water. Therefore, we are not in a position to release water to Tamil Nadu right now.”
Rice cultivation is crucial in Tamil Nadu, covering an average of 5.272 million acres annually. The Cauvery delta districts—Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai—as well as parts of Cuddalore, Tiruchirapalli, and Ariyalur—are heavily dependent on Cauvery water for agriculture. Of this, approximately 5.14 million acres are cultivated during the Kuruvai season.
Traditionally, the Mettur Dam is opened every year on June 12th to facilitate Kuruvai cultivation. However, this year, the dam was not opened due to low water storage. Instead, the Tamil Nadu government has announced a Kuruvai package scheme worth ₹77.50 crore to help farmers.
The Mettur Dam, which has a full capacity of 93.47 TMC, currently holds only 38.35 TMC of water, significantly less than last year when it was full around this time. Farmers in the delta region are eagerly awaiting the dam’s opening.
Water flow into Mettur depends largely on releases from reservoirs in Karnataka, such as Krishna Raja Sagar, Kabini, Harangi, and Hemavathi. Currently, these dams collectively hold only 35.1% of their total capacity, compared to 91.7% last year.
Officials said that significant rainfall – approximately 400 to 600 mm over two weeks in the catchment area – is required to fill these reservoirs. According to the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s guidelines, Karnataka is expected to release 9.91 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu in June and 32 TMC in July. However, the stipulated amount of water has not been released yet.
Ramalinga Reddy said that the Cauvery Authority has not issued any instructions in the current situation because it is aware of the water shortage in Karnataka. He said, “The release of water will entirely depend on the rainfall. There has not been any significant rainfall yet.”
