Release 31.24 TMC water to TN in July: Cauvery Management Authority to Karnataka

New Delhi, July 2: The Cauvery Water Management Authority, in its first meeting today, ordered Karnataka to release 31.24 TMC water to Tamil Nadu in July.

Even as the Karnataka government had on June 30 decide to appeal in the Supreme Court against the setting up of the Cauvery Water Management Authority, chairman of the body Masood Hussain, today said the meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere with a "spirit of cooperation".

Representatives of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Puducherry attended the meeting.

According to the minutes of the meeting, the authority directed Karnataka to release 31.24 TMC water to Tamil Nadu in the month of July.

"The authority directed Karnataka to ensure balance quantity (of water) for July, delinquently adjusting the excess quantity of water realised by Tamil Nadu in June, subject to the assessment and recommendations by the regulation committee," he said.

"The quantum of water which had been there in the Tribunal award after adjusting whatever had been the surplus in the month of June, that would be released by Karnataka," Hussain told reporters.

He said that at the meeting, Karnataka was urged to release water from Cauvery according to the Supreme Court ruling, and it was decided that the existing arrangement for the supply of water to Puducherry by Tamil Nadu will continue.

The authority also considered requesting the Central Water Commission to submit proposal for setting up communication network to assess hydrological conditions, Hussain said, adding the meeting also addressed the authority's budget and the issue of setting up of a permanent office for the authority.

Acting on the Supreme Court's direction, the Centre on June 1 constituted the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CMA) to address the dispute over sharing of river water among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.

PTI