The Hindu : Release water to T.N., panel tells Karnataka

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 10, 2002

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Release water to T.N., panel tells Karnataka

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI AUG. 9. The emergency meeting of the Cauvery Monitoring Committee on sharing of Cauvery waters today recommended that "Karnataka may release water to Tamil Nadu in accordance with the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award of April 3, 1992 on pro-rata basis keeping in view the distress situation''.

The award calls for proportionate sharing of distress between the riparian States which include Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Pondicherry and Kerala. This means that if the water level in Karnataka reservoirs is low-- as the State maintained in the meeting-- then it should release proportionately lower levels of waters to Tamil Nadu. As per the interim award of the tribunal, in a normal year Karnataka should release 205 tmc of water to Tamil Nadu.

The meeting was convened on the direction of the Supreme Court in response to an application by Tamil Nadu seeking directions to Karnataka to implement the interim award of the tribunal. If the Tamil Nadu's grievance was not redressed, then the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, would soon convene a meeting of the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) with the Chief Ministers of all the riparian States.

After the meeting, the Karnataka Chief Secretary, A. Ravindran said, " Taking into account the distress situation on both sides, whatever release is possible will be considered.'' However he was quick to add that no specific quantity was decided. He also made the point that the Monitoring Committee does not take decisions on its own. Its decisions are only recommendary.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, Sugavaneswar, declined to make any comment. But the Tamil Nadu Government sources expressed disappointment at the outcome of the meeting saying Karnataka was not being fair to Tamil Nadu.

It is learnt that the Tamil Nadu side told the meeting that the State faced a shortfall of 58.85 tmcft in stipulated releases from June to August. Instead of the stipulated 70.02 tmcft, it had only received 11.17 tmcft. The meeting chaired by the Water Resources Secretary, A.K. Goswami, was attended by the Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the Chief Secretary of Pondicherry, T.T. Thomas and the Chief Engineer of Kerala, T.K. Sasi.

Describing the talks as "cordial'' Mr. Goswami said the committee reviewed the inflows in Karnataka reservoirs and Mettur reservoir in Tamil Nadu. "It was noted that this year has been particularly dry year when the monsoon has been sluggish all over India. The States agreed to cooperate to share the distress caused due to sluggish monsoon.''

Mr Goswami said the situation would be reviewed every month. The recommendations of the Committee would be sent to the CRA "within 24 hours''.

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