Lok Sabha Question No. 1901 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-14
Subject: Water Release to Tamil Nadu
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Andimuthu Raja, A. Ganeshamurthi

1901.

SHRI A. RAJA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1901

ANSWERED ON 14.12.2023

## WATER RELEASE TO TAMIL NADU

## SHRI A. GANESHAMURTHI

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government of Karnataka is blatantly violating the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) Award by not releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the amount of water as stipulated by the Tribunal and released by Karnataka, during the last three years and the current year, month-wise;

(c)  whether  Cauvery  Water  Management  Authority  also  reiterated  release  of  water  as  stipulated  by  CWDT award;

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the concrete efforts made by the Union  Government in getting the CWDTA order implemented since the farmers in Tamil Nadu Cauvery Delta are suffering?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a) to (e) In  exercise of the powers conferred by section 6A of ISRWD Act 1956, the Central Government notified  the  Cauvery  Water  Management  Scheme,  inter  alia,  constituting  the  Cauvery  Water  Management Authority (CWMA) and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) to give effect to the decision of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal as modified by the Hon'ble Supreme Court vide its order dated 16 th February, 2018. As per the Hon'ble Supreme Court order dated 16.02.2018, the State of Karnataka would be required to release 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water at the inter-state contact point with Tamil Nadu, i.e., at Biligundulu in a normal year. The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in this order had also made clear that in case the  yield was less in a distress year, the allocated shares would be proportionately reduced amongst the States involved by the Regulatory Authority.

During the current water year 2023-24 (starting from 01.06.2023), the Govt. of Tamil Nadu raised the issue  of  less  realization  of  Cauvery  water  at  Biligundulu.  The  matter  of  quantum  of  flows  to  be  realized  at Biligundulu  as  per  the  Hon'ble  Supreme  Court  Order  dated  16.02.2018  has  been  reviewed  in  the  various meetings of CWMA and CWRC and directions were given to the member State of Karnataka with regard to the realization of stipulated quantity at Biligundulu after taking into account the prevailing hydro-meteorological conditions in the Cauvery basin.  So far, seven meetings of CWMA and eleven meetings of CWRC have been held to resolve the issues regarding distribution of the Cauvery Water, as per the final award of the CWDT, as modified by the Hon'ble Supreme Court.

Details  of  year-wise  and  month-wise stipulated flow at Biligundulu site in a Normal Year and the actual flows realized at Biligundulu during the last 3 Water Years (2020-23) and the current Water Year (2023-24) are given at Annexure-1.

The Government of Karnataka vide letter dated 21.11.2023 has informed Chairman, CWMA that the State of Karnataka has complied with all the decisions taken in the CWMA meetings regarding the agreed realization of stipulated quantity at Biligundulu.

***

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1901 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 14.12.2023 REGARDING 'WATER RELEASE TO TAMIL NADU'.

Details of Year-wise and month-wise stipulated flow at Biligundulu site in a Normal Year and the actual flows realized at Biligundulu during the last 3 Water Years (2020-23) and the current Water Year (2023-24).

| Month     |   Stipulated flows at Biligundulu site in a Normal Year (TMC) |   Actual flows realized at Biligundulu 2020-2021 (TMC) |   Actual flows realized at Biligundulu 2021-2022 (TMC) |   Actual flows realized at Biligundulu 2022-23 (TMC) | Actual flows realized at Biligundulu 2023-24 (TMC)   |
|-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| June      |                                                          9.19 |                                                  6.204 |                                                  7.697 |                                               16.458 | 2.833                                                |
| July      |                                                         31.24 |                                                 11.346 |                                                 27.988 |                                              106.926 | 8.747                                                |
| August    |                                                         45.95 |                                                 57.477 |                                                 22.641 |                                              223.557 | 19.995                                               |
| September |                                                         36.76 |                                                 45.184 |                                                 33.137 |                                              105.512 | 13.585                                               |
| October   |                                                         20.22 |                                                 39.703 |                                                 48.274 |                                              120.764 | 12.844                                               |
| November  |                                                         13.78 |                                                 23.156 |                                                 71.561 |                                               40.643 | 10.658                                               |
| December  |                                                          7.35 |                                                 12.146 |                                                 26.181 |                                               25.972 | -                                                    |
| January   |                                                          2.76 |                                                  5.673 |                                                  6.433 |                                                7.375 | -                                                    |
| February  |                                                          2.5  |                                                  2.038 |                                                  3.112 |                                                4.512 | -                                                    |
| March     |                                                          2.5  |                                                  1.523 |                                                  5.215 |                                                4.305 | -                                                    |
| April     |                                                          2.5  |                                                  2.881 |                                                  5.864 |                                                2.992 | -                                                    |
| May       |                                                          2.5  |                                                  3.984 |                                                 22.958 |                                                8.467 | -                                                    |

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