Bengaluru: After an all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah yesterday, the Karnataka Government said it would release 8,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu.

Last week, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directed the State to release one tmcft of water (11,000 cusecs) daily to Tamil Nadu until July 31.

“The overall opinion of all party leaders is that one TMC water cannot be released daily,” Siddaramaiah told reporters. Apart from Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka, former CM D.V. Sadananda Gowda, MLA G.T. Devegowda and legislators from the Cauvery Command Area attended the meeting.

“The Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam is only 54 percent full. Water levels at all dams of the Cauvery basin (KRS, Kabini, Harangi and Hemavathy) is 63 percent of their full capacity,” the CM said. Following the CWRC decision last week, the Karnataka government has decided to appeal the same before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).

Releasing 8,000 cusecs of water was based on legal advice that not releasing any water at all would put the State in a problematic position. If the rainfall situation improved, Karnataka was willing to release more water, Siddaramaiah said.

As per forecasts, Karnataka was expected to receive a good spell of rainfall from July 17 to 24. “In a normal year, 9.14 tmcft in June and 31.24 tmcft in July should be released. If the situation does not improve, we will reduce the outflow,” he said.

Comparing the situation last monsoon, the CM said that Karnataka faced a distress year in 2023 due to poor rainfall. As against the required outflow of 177 tmcft to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka could release only 85 tmcft last year, he added.

On July 12, the inflow was 5,000 cusecs water in Kabini, which was allowed to flow towards Tamil Nadu, the CM said, adding that 5,000 cusecs water was flowing in Biligundlu on Saturday.

He explained that on July 12, 20,000 cusecs and on July 13, 19,000 cusecs were released from Kabini dam because water cannot be stored for long due to its holding capacity. Siddarmaaiah said all the parties in Karnataka were unanimous that they should appeal to the CWMA stating that releasing one tmcft water daily was not possible.