Karnataka: Storage in dams dips, farmers oppose water for Tami Nadu
The standing crops are drying up due to scarcity of water and this may lead to an increase in the number of farmer suicides
Bengaluru/New Delhi: With Karnataka releasing water from KRS and Kabini dams in the past one week followed a notice to the state from the Central Irrigation Department, farmers’ leaders are none too happy with Mr Kurubur Shanthakumar saying that though there is no water in the dams, the state has not constituted a technical committee to formulate a distress formula to release water to Tamil Nadu.
The standing crops are drying up due to scarcity of water and this may lead to an increase in the number of farmer suicides, he warned. On Monday, the water level at KRS stood at 103 feet as against its original capacity of 124 feet. As much as 7605 cusecs was released into the river leading to Tamil Nadu on Monday.
Mr Shanthakumar claimed that though the capacity of Kabini dam is 21 TMC, only 16 TMC water is available for usage. As much as 11 TMC is required for standing crops in the irrigated area. “But since one week they have released only two TMC. The area has 1,20,000 acres of paddy crop and over 20,000 acres of sugarcane,” he said.
Cooperate with Tamil Nadu: Centre to Karnataka
Centre today advised Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments to "cooperate" with each other on the sharing of Cauvery waters after the latter cried foul that the neighbouring state had failed to release water as per the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
"Both the states were requested to co-operate and see how best they can handle the shortfall situation collectively," sources said after the meeting of Cauvery Supervisory Committee here. Karnataka had earlier this month expressed an inability to release Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu saying it was facing its "worst drought" in over four decades.
"We are trying to improve data collection and data management and analysis so that this kind of distress situation can be understood well and appropriate decisions can be taken," the sources added. The Centre's advice came in the wake of Tamil Nadu asking the Committee to order Karnataka that it make good an alleged shortfall of 47.549 TMCft water as on September 24. The shortfall, Tamil Nadu said, has been affecting ongoing cultivation of samba crop and, thus, the state's food security.
Tamil Nadu also demanded that the Committee ensure delivery of 48 TMCft of water due to the state at Billigundulu for the months of October-January as prescribed in the final order of the tribunal. It further charged that Karnataka overdrew 37 TMCft water above the 103 TMCft it was entitled to in 2014-15. In its submission before the Committee, therefore, Tamil Nadu government demanded that a mechanism be set up to monitor inflows into major reservoirs along with the drawing of water by Karnataka and the extent of the area irrigated.