In the ongoing Cauvery water dispute, the Karnataka state government presented its response to the Supreme Court on Thursday, challenging the assertions made by Tamil Nadu. The dispute revolves around the sharing of water from the Cauvery river, which flows through both states and has historically been a contentious issue.
Tamil Nadu has approached the Supreme Court, seeking an order to compel Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily for its standing crops. Karnataka has vehemently opposed Tamil Nadu’s plea, asserting that it is founded on an “incorrect assumption.”
Karnataka’s submission on Thursday refuted Tamil Nadu’s argument, highlighting that Tamil Nadu’s position assumes a normal water situation for this year, despite a 25 percent reduction in rainfall. Karnataka’s government stated that the “urgency stressed by Tamil Nadu to save standing crops is a complete misinterpretation.”
Regarding the alleged deficit of 28.849 thousand million cubic feet (tmc) of water, Karnataka argued that this calculation is misleading. The calculation was based on the erroneous assumption that the current water year follows the usual pattern, disregarding the actual distressed state of water resources.
The Karnataka government apprised the Supreme Court of the impact of the southwest monsoon’s failure on the Cauvery basin within the state. The government explained that this has led to a dire situation, relieving the state from the obligation to adhere to the specified water releases for a typical year.
“Therefore, Karnataka is not bound by and cannot be compelled to provide water as per the prescribed releases for a normal year, which amount to 177.25 tmc, distributed across months,” stated the government.
Karnataka also attributed the ongoing crisis to Tamil Nadu’s unwarranted opposition to the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir-cum-Drinking Water project near the interstate border.
Furthermore, Karnataka accused Tamil Nadu of exceeding water usage limits for cultivating Kuruvai crops, surpassing the limits set by the Tribunal. “Tamil Nadu has misused water to the extent of 69.777 tmc,” conveyed the Karnataka government to the Supreme Court.
The affidavit also emphasized Karnataka’s critical water requirements. While the state needs 200.360 tmc from its reservoirs for the 2023-24 water year, subsequent needs are estimated at 77 tmc. Considering agricultural water needs and other essential requirements, the available water storage falls short, posing a serious threat to Karnataka’s vital water needs.
“The current storage, coupled with anticipated inflow, is inadequate for Karnataka’s crops and for fulfilling the water demands of towns, villages, and even the technological hub of the world, Bengaluru. Hence, Karnataka’s legitimate needs are in grave jeopardy,” asserted the government.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to further deliberate on the case on Friday.
