Cauvery Authority Directs Karnataka, Tamil Nadu to Reserve Water for Drinking Only Amid Drought
The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), in a meeting held in Delhi on Wednesday, has directed both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to strictly restrict the use of their stored water to drinking water purposes, taking serious note of poor rainfall in the Cauvery basin.
The CWMA, the apex body monitoring the implementation of the Supreme Court's verdict on Cauvery water releases, instructed both states to maintain the status quo regarding water releases and utilisation.
According to sources, the CWMA referred to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast indicating further challenging rainfall conditions in the coming days and observed that the current year is expected to be a distress year for the Cauvery basin.
The authority noted that the present storage in reservoirs across the Cauvery basin in both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu can only meet drinking water requirements. It warned both states against using the stored water for other purposes, including irrigation, and expressed confidence that judicious use could prevent drinking water shortages.
The CWMA recalled that it had cautioned the states about possible distress as early as April and May. It was also noted that Karnataka had released only 2.5 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water in June and 0.54 tmcft in July so far to Tamil Nadu, which is lower than the prescribed amounts.
The situation will be reviewed again on July 28 by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, which assists the CWMA in monitoring storage, releases, and other issues.
Karnataka is currently experiencing a serious drought with a rainfall deficit of about 35%. The Kodagu region, which forms the largest catchment area for the Cauvery and is the river's origin point, has a rainfall shortage of 45%.
As of July 22, the cumulative storage from all four reservoirs in Karnataka's Cauvery basin stands at 52% of their full capacity. The Karnataka government has already informed farmers in command areas that water will not be released for irrigation to protect storage for drinking water needs.
