Cauvery tech committee reports ground realities, makes no recommendation on water release

BENGALURU: After a brief lull, the Cauvery battle between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has reared its head again on Monday with Tamil Nadu going for a rail roko even as the technical committee set up the Supreme Court to assess ground realities in the river basin submitted its report. The committee, headed by Central Water Commission chairperson G S Jha, has said that as against a

requirement of 65.48 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water for Karnataka’s drinking water and irrigation needs, the state will have about 89.16 tmcft for use up to May 2017, if the north east monsoon (called hingaaru or returning monsoon) from October-December is normal. In contrast, Tamil Nadu will need 163 tmcft, including 3 tmcft for Puducherry, for both drinking water and irrigation needs, against which the state will have 143.18 tmcft up to May 2017. The committee has not made any specific recommendation on water release or its schedule from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu, which is the actual subject of dispute. It has noted that farmers in both states are in deep distress and said: “The basis of assessment of the projected crop water requirement is within the range of permissible parameters. However keeping in view the crop condition and water availability there is a scope of further reduction of projected and planned cropped area by the State.”

The committee has identified that the standing crop in Karnataka is at mid-growth and need about three to four waterings to survive. The crop in Tamil Nadu is at an initial stage, though and will require about 15 to 18 waterings to survive, the report said. Specifically referring to farmers suicides in Mandya district of Karnataka, the committee said 42 of the 48 taluks in the state’s Cauvery basin had been declared drought-hit.

“Both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu need to appreciate interest of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in protection of their established irrigation and Karnataka’s aspirations for development respectively and should educate their people accordingly,” the committee said. It has advised the two states to direct its farmers to go for less water intensive crops, change cropping patterns based on water availability, improve water use technology and move away from flood irrigation to sprinkler and drip irrigation. The committee also noted that the water delivery systems to farmers in the Cauvery basin was over a century old and needed modernisation. 

Cauvery tech committee reports ground realities, makes no recommendation on water release