CMC asks Karnataka to release 4.8 tmc to TN by Nov 30

New Delhi, Nov 16:

should release 4.8 thousand million cubic feet (tmc) of water to

by the end of this month, stressed the

Monitoring Committee (CMC).

The panel headed by Union Water Resources Secretary DV Singh ordered the Karnataka government yesterday to release 4.8 tmc from its dams which are situated in the Cauvery basin.

Though Tamil Nadu is supposed to get the entire quantum of water between Nov 16 and Nov 30, Karnataka argued that it had already released 23,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water in the past fortnight and hence, only needs to release the remaining quantum in the next two weeks.

On Nov 2, Tamil Nadu had apprised the CMC about the overall shortfall of 52.5 tmc during the South-West Monsoon. However, the panel did not take up the issue yesterday because there is still no consensus on the monsoon season's total length.

Tamil Nadu is likely to again move the Supreme Court in this regard. Last month, the apex court bench of justices JS Khehar and DK Jain had directed the CMC to look into all the issues raised by the two states and make recommendations.

The judges made it clear that both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka will have to comply with the panel's recommendations. Besides the chairman of the Central Water Commission, the CMC consists of chief engineers and chief secretaries of Kerala, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

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