TN to receive Kabini water by Monday as K'taka releases 12,000 cusecs
Chennai, Aug 2
Tamil Nadu is expected to start receiving water released from Karnataka's Kabini reservoir by Monday, after the neighbouring state discharged around 12,000 cusecs following a sharp rise in inflows caused by heavy rainfall in the Cauvery catchment areas.
Water Resources Department (WRD) officials said the released water is expected to reach the Biligundlu gauging station on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border by Monday, then flow towards the Mettur reservoir, where it could arrive by Tuesday or Wednesday.
Officials, however, cautioned that the exact travel time would depend on river conditions.
Several stretches of the Cauvery basin between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have remained relatively dry in recent days, which could slow the movement of water.
A senior WRD official said evaporation and absorption losses along the river course would also have to be factored in, making it difficult to precisely calculate when the released water would reach Mettur.
The release comes amid the continuing Cauvery water-sharing dispute between the two states and after sustained rainfall substantially improved storage in Karnataka's major reservoirs.
Kabini reservoir, which has a storage capacity of 19,516 million cubic feet (mcft), had only 26.59 per cent storage on July 1, when inflow stood at 1,988 cusecs. The storage increased to 61.63 per cent by July 15 following continuous rainfall in its catchment. By July 31, Kabini had reached 82.65 per cent of its capacity, while inflow increased to 9,133 cusecs.
Tamil Nadu officials said Karnataka had delayed releasing water despite directions from the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee and Cauvery Water Management Authority. Inflows into the Krishna Raja Sagara reservoir have also increased following heavy rainfall across the Cauvery basin.
With Kabini and KRS approaching their full storage levels, further releases could become necessary if substantial inflows continue. Any increase in releases is expected to provide relief to Tamil Nadu, particularly farmers in the Cauvery delta who are closely watching water availability ahead of the cropping season.
Meanwhile, the Mettur reservoir held 35.774 tmcft of water on Saturday, accounting for 38.27 per cent of its total capacity of 93.470 tmcft. WRD officials said reservoir levels and upstream releases were being closely monitored.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is how it should work - nature's bounty shared between states. We keep fighting over the same water every year while our politicians score points. The real victims are farmers on both sides of the border. Instead of celebrating this release, we need a permanent, scientific solution to water-sharing that doesn't depend on monsoon moods or political pressure.
Wait, so Karnataka was supposed to release earlier according to Cauvery Water Regulation Committee and they just... didn't? 😤 Only when their dams are about to overflow do they remember about downstream states. Typical politics! Hope Tamil Nadu gets its full share this time. Our farmers in Thanjavur and Trichy deserve better. The CM should take this up formally before the Supreme Court!
At least the monsoon has been generous this year. But we should be smarter about this - why lose all that water to evaporation and absorption? Need better canal infrastructure on both sides. And honestly, the constant fighting between our states is a national embarrassment. We talk about Mangalyaan and supercomputers but can't sort out river-sharing rationally.
Happy that Kabini is 82% full and KRS is getting good inflows - as a Kannadiga, I'd rather we release water willingly when we have surplus than be forced by orders. But with Cauvery, there's always a catch. The moment monsoon wanes, we'll be back to square one with court cases and protests. Still, 12,000 cusecs will definitely help our Tamil farmer brothers. Let's hope this generosity lasts.
Honestly, the whole Cauvery dispute is so exhausting. Every year it's the same drama - Tamil Nadu cries for water, Karnataka claims it has none, Supreme Court gives a ruling, and then depending on rainfall, the states either comply or ignore. Meanwhile, the real issue is we haven't built enough storage reservoirs or lined canals to prevent wastage. Even this release will lose significant
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