New Delhi: The newly-formed Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) has ordered Karnataka to release 31.24 tmcft (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu in July.

The first meeting of the CWMA was held in New Delhi yesterday with representatives from Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The meeting was held even as Karnataka decided to appeal in the Supreme Court against the formation of Cauvery Water Management Authority.

Rakesh Singh, the representative for Karnataka, told the meeting that the State would take a call on releasing water only after taking into account the reservoir levels, available inflow and the data from Central Water Commission. He came out of the meeting without making any commitment on the release of 31.24 tmcft water.

Speaking to reporters after the four-hour long meeting, the interim Chairman of the CWMA, S. Masood Hussain said the meeting discussed various factors involved in the release of Cauvery water being discussed.

“The authority directed Karnataka to ensure balance quantity (of water) for July, delinquently adjusting the excess quantity of water realised by Tamil Nadu in June, subject to the assessment and recommendations by the regulation committee,” he said.

“The quantum of water which had been there in the Tribunal award after adjusting whatever had been the surplus in the month of June that would be released by Karnataka” Hussain told reporters.

“We discussed about the CWMA’s structure and office, factors related to the water inflow and outflow and we decided to preserve all the details required to release water from Cauvery,” he said.

The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee will meet in New Delhi on July 5.

The Authority also considered requesting the Central Water Commission to submit proposal for setting up communication network to assess hydrological conditions, Hussain said.