Chennai, August 2: Karnataka has begun releasing approximately 12,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water from the Kabini reservoir, which is expected to reach Tamil Nadu by Monday. This surge in water flow is attributed to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the Cauvery River.
Officials from the Water Resources Department (WRD) indicated that the released water is likely to arrive at the Billigundulu gauging station on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border by Monday. Following this, the water will flow towards the Mettur reservoir, where it is anticipated to arrive by Tuesday or Wednesday.
However, officials cautioned that the exact timing of the water’s arrival will depend on river conditions. Recently, several areas within the Cauvery basin in both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have experienced relative dryness, which could slow the flow of water.
A senior WRD official noted that evaporation and water absorption along the river’s path must also be considered. This makes it challenging to predict precisely when the released water will reach the Mettur reservoir.
This decision to release water comes amid an ongoing dispute over the sharing of Cauvery water between the two states. Additionally, continuous rainfall has improved water storage levels in Karnataka’s major reservoirs.
On July 1, the Kabini reservoir, which has a capacity of 19,516 million cubic feet (MCFT), was only 26.59% full, with an inflow of 1,988 cusecs. However, due to persistent rainfall in the catchment area, storage increased to 61.63% by July 15. By July 31, the Kabini reservoir was filled to 82.65% of its total capacity, with inflow rising to 9,133 cusecs.
Tamil Nadu officials have stated that Karnataka delayed the water release despite directives from the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee and the Cauvery Water Management Authority. Heavy rainfall in the Cauvery basin has also increased inflow into the Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) reservoir.
With both the Kabini and KRS reservoirs nearing full capacity, further releases may be necessary if substantial inflows continue. Any additional increase in water volume is expected to benefit Tamil Nadu, particularly farmers in the Cauvery Delta, who are closely monitoring water availability ahead of the crop season.
Meanwhile, as of Saturday, the Mettur reservoir held 35.774 TMCFT of water, which is 38.27% of its total capacity of 93.470 TMCFT. WRD officials reported that they are continuously monitoring the reservoir levels and the water being released from upstream areas.
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