Lok Sabha Question No. 1664 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-01
Subject: Release of Cauvery Water
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri  Selvaganapathi T.M.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1664

ANSWERED ON 01.08.2024

## RELEASE OF CAUVERY WATER

## 1664. SHRI SELVAGANAPATHI T.M.

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  Cauvery  Water  Regulation  Committee  has  asked  the  Government  of Karnataka to ensure the flow of 11,500 cusecs of water at Biligundlu every day till July 31 to supply water for Tamil Nadu;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether it is a fact that Karnataka did not maintain the flow of water into the river for environmental purposes between February and May and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether it is also a fact that the current year is being treated as a normal year and inflow into the river also remains normal and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

- (a) & (b) Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC), in its 99th meeting, held on 11th July 2024, directed Karnataka for release from its reservoirs, so that the cumulative realisation at Biligundulu is 1.00 TMC per day (on an average flow of about 11,500 cusecs) during the period from 12.07.2024 to 31.07.2024.
- (c) As  per  the  Final  Award  of  the  Cauvery  Water  Disputes  Tribunal  (CWDT),  as  modified  by  the Hon'ble Supreme Court, the total yield of the Cauvery River Basin upto Lower Coleroon Anicut (LCA) has been determined to be about 740 TMC at 50% dependability.

Out  of  the  above  allocation  of  740  TMC,  10  TMC  of  water  was  allocated  for  environmental purposes.

Further,  as  per  the  Final  Award  of  CWDT,  as  modified  by  the  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court  dated 16.02.2018, the State of Karnataka would be required to release 177.25 TMC of water at the inter-state border with Tamil Nadu, i.e., at Biligundulu (CWC G&D site) in a Normal Year.

From 1 st June to 31 st January, the stipulated flows and the actual cumulative flows realized during the period from 01.06.2023 to 31.01.2024 were as follows:-

| Period                     |   Stipulated flows to be ensured in a normal year as per the Final Award of the CWDT, as modified by the Hon'ble Supreme Court (in TMC) Actual cumulative flows realized (in TMC) |   Stipulated flows to be ensured in a normal year as per the Final Award of the CWDT, as modified by the Hon'ble Supreme Court (in TMC) Actual cumulative flows realized (in TMC) |
|----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1 st June to 31 st January |                                                                                                                                                                            167.25 |                                                                                                                                                                            76.724 |

Also, the Stipulated flows in a Normal Water Year from 1 st February to 31 st May and actual flows realized from 1 st February, 2024 to 31 st May 2024 were as follows

| Month    |   Stipulated flows to be ensured in a normal year as per the Final Award of the CWDT, as modified by the Hon'ble Supreme Court (in TMC) Actual cumulative flows realized (in TMC) |   Stipulated flows to be ensured in a normal year as per the Final Award of the CWDT, as modified by the Hon'ble Supreme Court (in TMC) Actual cumulative flows realized (in TMC) |
|----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| February |                                                                                                                                                                               2.5 |                                                                                                                                                                             0.66  |
| March    |                                                                                                                                                                               2.5 |                                                                                                                                                                             0.94  |
| April    |                                                                                                                                                                               2.5 |                                                                                                                                                                             0.438 |
| May      |                                                                                                                                                                               2.5 |                                                                                                                                                                             2.656 |
| Total    |                                                                                                                                                                              10   |                                                                                                                                                                             4.694 |

Thus, the Stipulated flows to be ensured in a Normal water year and the Actual cumulative flows realized during the Water Year 2023- 2024 were as follows.

| Period                           |   Stipulated flows to be ensured in a normal year as per the Final Award of the CWDT, as modified by the Hon'ble Supreme Court (in TMC) Actual cumulative flows realized (in TMC) |   Stipulated flows to be ensured in a normal year as per the Final Award of the CWDT, as modified by the Hon'ble Supreme Court (in TMC) Actual cumulative flows realized (in TMC) |
|----------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1 st June 2023 to 31 st May 2024 |                                                                                                                                                                            177.25 |                                                                                                                                                                            81.418 |

The  above  tables  indicate  that  the  actual  cumulative  flows  realized  at  Biligundulu  during  Water Year 2023-24 were less than the stipulated flows to be ensured in a Normal Water year, due to deficient rainfall, particularly during South-West monsoon.

- (d) As per the Final Order of CWDT, the 'Normal year' means a year in which the total yield of the Cauvery  Basin  is  740  TMC.  Further  the  'Water  Year'  means  the  year  commencing  on  1 st June  and ending 31 st May. During the current Water Year 2024-25 (Water Year is from 01 st June to 31 st May), 02 meetings of the Authority and 03 meetings of the Regulation Committee have been held so far.

In the 32 nd meeting of Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) held on 24 th July 2024 the Hydro-meteorological  condition  in  the  Cauvery  basin  was  deliberated  in  detail.  It  was  noted  by  the Authority that the cumulative net inflows received in the four designated reservoirs in the Cauvery basin in the State of Karnataka, during the period from 01.06.2024 to 22.07.2024 is 118.245 TMC, whereas the average cumulative net inflows for the last 30 years during the same period was 90.458 TMC.

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