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No shortfall in water release: Deccan Herald
Bangalore, Feb 10: The Cauvery River Authority`s meeting to be held tomorrow will be important for Karnataka as it has to establish its contention with statistics that there is no shortfall in release of water to Tamil Nadu and also that there would be acute shortage of drinking water in the summer months in the Cauvery basin if additional water is released to Tamil Nadu.
Bangalore, Feb 10: The Cauvery River Authority's meeting to be held tomorrow will be important for Karnataka as it has to establish its contention with statistics that there is no shortfall in release of water to Tamil Nadu and also that there would be acute shortage of drinking water in the summer months in the Cauvery basin if additional water is released to Tamil Nadu.
Karnataka has already argued before the previous CRA meeting as well as the Supreme Court that there was no deficit in releases to Tamil Nadu as made out by the latter and it is practically impossible to meet its demand for 18 tmc to save paddy (samba) crop.
The top bureaucrats in the State secretariat, who are geared up to present facts and figures before the CRA chairman Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, are in possession of satellite imageries of Cauvery delta which, according to them, would establish that nearly 85 per cent of standing Samba crop grown in about seven lakh hectares have already been harvested. And, for the rest 15 per cent, 5 to 6 tmc would be sufficient and thus there is no basis for Tamil Nadu to demand 18 tmc. Karnataka has already advised its farmers not to cultivate summer crop in the basin.
It is already an established fact that Karnataka is reeling under second consecutive drought and, in fact, it is facing one of the worst droughts in the last 32 years. The reservoirs in the State between June 2002 and February 2003 have received an inflow of 203.45 tmc and of this, 100.23 tmc have already been released to Tamil Nadu in a phased manner. If the contentious distress formula were to be adhered to, the State would have benefited as it could have been allowed to utilise 53 per cent of the available water in the Cauvery basin.
At present, the total water availability in four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin is 12.5 tmc against last year's availability of 42 tmc. Even a conservative estimate will put the requirement of water in the Cauvery basin upto May-end at 26 tmc which includes 11.5 tmc for drinking water, 9.5 tmc for sugarcane and horticulture crops and 5.6 tmc for flora and fauna. The government is worried as already the Kabini jungle is facing an acute shortage of water.
Tamil Nadu has been arguing that Karnataka does not need 11.5 tmc for drinking water. The BWSSB's average supply to Bangalore City is 1.1 tmc per month keeping the per capita consumption of 100 lts a day and this happens to to be lesser than the national standard of 155 lts. In contrast, Tamil Nadu says per capita supply is just 30 lts a day in Chennai and therefore, Bangalore also is not in need of 1.1 tmc a month.
But, while considering these contentions, the population of Bangalore and Chennai has to be kept in view. Bangalore's population is 59 lakh whereas Chennai's is 45 lakh. And, there are a record 250 private water supply agencies in Chennai. In case of Karnataka, the KUWSB has the responsibility to maintain per capita supply of 55 lts a day even in small villages in the Cauvery basin.
Regarding the shortfall, Karnataka had began releasing 4,500 cusec (0.4 tmc) per day from February 7 and by February 10, the total quantum released would be 1.5 tmc. It may have to give another 0.3 tmc to make up the deficit. But, Tamil Nadu is vehemently arguing that 18 tmc is the shortfall and it has to get at least 10 tmc immediately.
Now, it is to be seen whether the CRA meeting would prioritise the basic requirements of the co-riparians based on the factual position or political formula would be adopted to solve the wrangle. There is a ray of hope for Karnataka as the Centre on February 5 submitted an affidavit before the court indicating that Karnataka had released substantial water to Tamil Nadu.
Bureau Report
Karnataka has already argued before the previous CRA meeting as well as the Supreme Court that there was no deficit in releases to Tamil Nadu as made out by the latter and it is practically impossible to meet its demand for 18 tmc to save paddy (samba) crop.
The top bureaucrats in the State secretariat, who are geared up to present facts and figures before the CRA chairman Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, are in possession of satellite imageries of Cauvery delta which, according to them, would establish that nearly 85 per cent of standing Samba crop grown in about seven lakh hectares have already been harvested. And, for the rest 15 per cent, 5 to 6 tmc would be sufficient and thus there is no basis for Tamil Nadu to demand 18 tmc. Karnataka has already advised its farmers not to cultivate summer crop in the basin.
It is already an established fact that Karnataka is reeling under second consecutive drought and, in fact, it is facing one of the worst droughts in the last 32 years. The reservoirs in the State between June 2002 and February 2003 have received an inflow of 203.45 tmc and of this, 100.23 tmc have already been released to Tamil Nadu in a phased manner. If the contentious distress formula were to be adhered to, the State would have benefited as it could have been allowed to utilise 53 per cent of the available water in the Cauvery basin.
At present, the total water availability in four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin is 12.5 tmc against last year's availability of 42 tmc. Even a conservative estimate will put the requirement of water in the Cauvery basin upto May-end at 26 tmc which includes 11.5 tmc for drinking water, 9.5 tmc for sugarcane and horticulture crops and 5.6 tmc for flora and fauna. The government is worried as already the Kabini jungle is facing an acute shortage of water.
Tamil Nadu has been arguing that Karnataka does not need 11.5 tmc for drinking water. The BWSSB's average supply to Bangalore City is 1.1 tmc per month keeping the per capita consumption of 100 lts a day and this happens to to be lesser than the national standard of 155 lts. In contrast, Tamil Nadu says per capita supply is just 30 lts a day in Chennai and therefore, Bangalore also is not in need of 1.1 tmc a month.
But, while considering these contentions, the population of Bangalore and Chennai has to be kept in view. Bangalore's population is 59 lakh whereas Chennai's is 45 lakh. And, there are a record 250 private water supply agencies in Chennai. In case of Karnataka, the KUWSB has the responsibility to maintain per capita supply of 55 lts a day even in small villages in the Cauvery basin.
Regarding the shortfall, Karnataka had began releasing 4,500 cusec (0.4 tmc) per day from February 7 and by February 10, the total quantum released would be 1.5 tmc. It may have to give another 0.3 tmc to make up the deficit. But, Tamil Nadu is vehemently arguing that 18 tmc is the shortfall and it has to get at least 10 tmc immediately.
Now, it is to be seen whether the CRA meeting would prioritise the basic requirements of the co-riparians based on the factual position or political formula would be adopted to solve the wrangle. There is a ray of hope for Karnataka as the Centre on February 5 submitted an affidavit before the court indicating that Karnataka had released substantial water to Tamil Nadu.
Bureau Report