Insufficient data: Cauvery Supervisory Committee can't decide on quantum of water release

NEW DELHI: The Cauvery Supervisory Committee meeting to decide the quantum of water to be released to Tamil Nadu and other states ended inconclusive in the wake of the Supreme Court’s new directive and TN and Karnataka not agreeing to a particular figure of release of water which was based on scientific facts. During the discussion it was found that certain data related to unauthorized

withdrawal of water was not available and the panel did not wish to pass an order which is not backed by supportive data. The next meeting of the supervisory committee will be held on September 19, 2016. The meeting was chaired by Union Water Resources Secretary Shashi Shekhar and attended by the chief secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Puducherry  and senior officials from Kerala, Central Water Commission.

Shekhar said the Committee could not arrive at a decision for the want of adequate information relating to withdrawal of water, its utilisation, allegations of withdrawal when it was not permitted, variation in rainfall and its impact on the actual run-off over a period spanning 29 years. “The time given by the honourable Supreme Court was so limited states could not bring all information. So, the Committee has fixed another date that is on September 19, because the Supreme Court has today given a date for next hearing on September 20,” Shekhar told reporters after the meeting.  The apex court on Monday asked Karnataka to release 12000 cusecs of water instead of 15000 cusecs till September 20. The committee has also decided that Central Water Commission will draw up a new protocol of online collection of data related to rainfall and flow of water on real time basis which may be shared simultaneously with all states concerned. All the three states and Puducherry have been requested to submit the relevant data by September 15.

“As we were discussing and trying to reach a figure which would be acceptable to both the states which was also based on scientific facts, we found that the SC had given another interim order today. So, we will meet again,” he said.

TN officials seem to have sought quantum of water release based on the Cauvery water tribunal order and expressed concern over the unauthorised withdrawal of water. Karnataka is learnt to have raised the issue of depleting water levels of its reservoirs and asked the Centre to send a team to assess the situation. Shekhar, however, said the rainfall data provided by the TN meteorology department doesn’t entirely support their claim and it needs to substantiate its allegations with data.