Tamil Nadu Government on Wednesday made a fresh plea in the Supreme Court reiterating its demand for issuing appropriate directions to Karnataka to make good the shortfall of 48 tmcft of water as per the distress sharing formula.
It said as per the formula there must be pro-rata sharing of the available flows during the southwest monsoon and Karnataka must release 2 tmcft of water per day for 24 days to sustain the samba crop grown in an extent of 14.53 lakh acres.
Joining issue with Karnataka that it had more than complied with the releases cumulatively aggregating 2,07,000 cusecs as against 1,89,000 cusecs, Tamil Nadu said this was not correct. It said “if the flows measured at Biligundulu are taken from September 22 and accounted till October 15, there is shortfall of 1.21 tmcft.
The drinking water requirements provided by the Cauvery Monitoring Committee as 23 tmcft (as claimed by Karnataka) is excessive and as per the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, the said requirement would be only 5.5 tmcft during this period.”
It said “Karnataka admittedly claimed 65% as its cropped area and yet before the CMC it claims water not only for the full area permitted by the Tribunal under the four major reservoirs but also for more area. It is accepted that the minor irrigation is not fed from reservoirs but from the rain fed tanks. Rabi crop cannot be standing crops since it is grown only from November and perennial crops (standing crops) permitted is only for 40,000 acres against 60,000 acres considered by the CMC.
