The State Government yesterday expressed its inability to release 3 tmcft of Cauvery water, sought by an official team from Tamil Nadu, to meet the water requirements of people in the Cauvery basin area.

Karnataka Chief Secretary Subhash Khuntia expressed helplessness on the grounds that there was severe water shortage in the basin. The available water in the four reservoirs of the Cauvery basin could only meet the demand for drinking water in the summer months, he said.

The total storage in the three reservoirs stood at 8.8 tmcft which would meet the drinking water requirements only up to June, explained Khuntia.

A four-member official team from Tamil Nadu headed by its PWD Principal Secretary S.K. Prabhakar held the meeting with Khuntia at Vidhana Soudha to request water for drinking. The meeting lasted for an hour.

Speaking to reporters later, Khuntia said the talks were “cordial” and officials of Tamil Nadu had sought water release on “humanitarian consideration,” not on the basis of the Cauvery Tribunal order or the Apex Court direction. “Water crisis is similar in both the States. But their demand can be considered only if it rains here,” he said.

He said Tamil Nadu has not requested to release 2,000 cusecs per day, as directed by the Apex Court. At the meeting, the Court order did not figure. “We can somehow manage till June. But if we get rains, then the request for release of water could be considered,” he added.