Cauvery dispute: KRS dam level dips below 90 feet, can panel save K'taka?

Bengaluru/Mysuru: Monday could prove to be a crucial day for Karnataka in the battle with Tamil Nadu over Cauvery water with the Cauvery Supervisory Committee scheduled to meet in New Delhi to decide on the quantum of water to be released to Tamil Nadu. The level in the KRS dam has alarmingly dipped below 90 feet after release of water to Tamil Nadu.

Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry besides officials of Central Water Commission will attend the meeting. According to sources, Karnataka is expected to contend that the demand by Tamil Nadu for 61 tmcft water holds good only when normal rainfall occurs. With Karnataka reeling under the impact of a rain deficit, the poor inflow of water into Cauvery basin reservoirs has left the state struggling to meet even drinking water requirements.

Meanwhile, a modification petition filed by Karnataka before the Supreme Court on Saturday evening seeking immediate hearing of its plea to restrict the release of Cauvery water to 10,000 cusecs per day for six days only, is expected to come up for hearing on Monday. The state was ordered to release 15,000 cusecs water to Tamil Nadu for 10 days by the apex court on September 5. Sources told Deccan Chronicle that the SC may hold a special hearing on the modification petition in the morning hours.

Alarms bells have already started ringing in the Cauvery basin with the water level in the 124-feet-high KRS dam, the lifeline of districts like Bengaluru, Mysuru and Mandya, dipping below 90 feet. The water level stood at 89.40 feet on Sunday while at Kabini dam, the level was 2273.13 feet as against its capacity of 2,284 feet. On Monday, the outflow to Tamil Nadu from KRS was as high as 20,023 cusecs.  Hemavathi and Harangi reservoirs released 10,500 cusecs into the river leading to KRS dam from where water will be released to TN. Considering the gravity of the situation, former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda made an aerial visit of KRS, Kabini, Hemavathi and Harangi dams in a chopper and said, “The state’s advocates should not fail to convey the ground reality in the Cauvery basin in Karnataka when the modification petition comes up for hearing in the Supreme Court.”