Cauvery Water Dispute Escalates as Karnataka Chief Minister Cites Insufficient Water

The Cauvery water dispute is intensifying as Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed his inability to share water with neighboring Tamil Nadu due to insufficient water levels in the Cauvery basin dams. The Congress-led government faces a dilemma, as releasing water to Tamil Nadu for various purposes, including drinking, agriculture, and industrial use, could lead to a shortage within the state.

Siddaramaiah stated that an appeal petition is being filed with the Supreme Court, which has questioned the state’s compliance with orders from the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA). The Chief Minister highlighted that Karnataka only has 53 tmc (thousand million cubic feet) of available water, while various demands require 106 tmc, making it impossible to release additional water at this time.

In a typical year, 177.25 tmc of water is released, but until now, only 37.7 tmc has been released, well below the CWMA’s directive to release 5,000 cusecs of water due to shortages. Siddaramaiah also noted that Cauvery water had been released to Tamil Nadu during the tenure of his predecessor, Yediyurappa.