Karnataka may have to release nearly double the stipulated 3,500 cusecs owing to dry riverbed till Biligundlu
Hydrology experts suggest Karnataka may need to release double the mandated 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu to account for significant transit losses. Low storage levels in Cauvery basin reservoirs further complicate the state's ability to meet these requirements.
Why it matters
Water sharing disputes between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are a recurring source of regional political and social tension, impacting agricultural stability.
Though the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) that reviewed the storage and rainfall situation in the Cauvery basin on Tuesday has directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water a day to Tamil Nadu for 15 days, experts say that Karnataka may have to actually release one-and-half to two times more than this quantum.
“This is because the CWRC has said Karnataka has to ensure flow of 3,500 cusecs a day at the Biligundlu measuring gauge located on the inter-State border. But the riverbed and banks enroute Biligundlu are dry now. Besides, the State also has to account for groundwater levels and channel losses, riverbed and bank storages. In other words, a significant percentage of water released from either KRS or Kabini reservoirs will be lost by the time it reaches Biligundlu measuring gauge,” observed an hydrology expert.
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