Cauvery row: Karnataka govt ordered to release 5000 cusecs water to Tamil Nadu for next 15 days

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 12 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday called an emergency cabinet meeting after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) recommended the state government to release 5000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu from tomorrow for the next 15 days. 
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar along with other cabinet ministers were present in the meeting. 
CWRC said that it has recommended that Karnataka should ensure the release of 5,000 cusecs water at Biligundlu for the next 15 days starting from tomorrow morning which is against the demand of the Tamil Nadu Government which had urged for releasing a total of 12,500 cusecs water. 
"Taking note of the severity of the drought in the Cauvery basin of Karnataka, which has been increasing and enlarging putting at greater risk even the drinking water needs and minimum needs of irrigation, Karnataka made submissions that it is not in a position to release the water unless the inflows into the reservoirs improve," an official statement issued by CWRC said. 
"In turn, Tamilnadu urged for releasing a total of 12,500 cusecs water (which is inclusive of the backlog of 6,500 cusecs) for the next 15 days. Finally, CWRC has recommended that Karnataka ensure 5,000 cusecs realization at Biligundlu for the next 15 days starting from tomorrow morning," it added. 
The matter has been a controversial issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for decades and they have been locked in battle over the sharing of water from the Cauvery river, which is a major source of irrigation and drinking water for millions of people in the region. The Centre formed the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on June 2, 1990, to adjudicate disputes between Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Puducherry with respect to the water-sharing capacities. (ANI)