Chamarajanaga:Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) has issued a directive to Karnataka, instructing them to release 3,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water to Tamil Nadu for the next 18 days. This directive came after a meeting involving officials from both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka’s Response Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who was in Chamarajanagara at the time, announced Karnataka’s decision to challenge the CWRC’s order in the Supreme Court. Karnataka’s argument against complying with the order is based on the perilously low water levels in its reservoirs.
This is not the first time Karnataka has sought legal recourse in this water dispute. Previously, the state had challenged the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) order to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu in the Supreme Court. However, the apex court upheld the CWMA’s directive in that instance.
Karnataka has consistently cited the rain deficit and decreasing water storage levels in the Cauvery basin’s reservoirs as reasons for its inability to meet Tamil Nadu’s water demands.
The escalating conflict has garnered widespread public support, with various organisations expressing their solidarity. A bandh (a form of strike or protest involving the shutdown of services and businesses) is planned for September 29 to protest the situation.
Overall, this ongoing dispute highlights the complexity and gravity of the Cauvery River water-sharing issue, which has been a longstanding source of contention between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The involvement of regulatory bodies like the CWMA and CWRC, as well as legal challenges, reflects the ongoing struggle to find a resolution to this issue.