New Delhi: The Cauvery Management Authority (CMA) has directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water to Tamil Nadu every day for the next 15 days.
The order follows the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s earlier direction that the stipulated quantity should be ensured at the Biligundlu gauging station on the inter-state border so that water reaches Tamil Nadu.
The Cauvery water-sharing issue has again triggered differences between the two states, with Tamil Nadu seeking releases and Karnataka maintaining that it is unable to comply due to lack of rainfall and drinking water shortages. Karnataka had indicated it would challenge the committee’s direction before the CMA.
At the CMA meeting held on Wednesday, representatives from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry participated. After deliberations, the CMA issued its order reiterating the release of 3,500 cusecs per day for 15 days.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar told reporters in Delhi that he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day and has called an all-party meeting on Sunday to discuss the Cauvery issue and seek a solution in the interest of both states.
