Cauvery River Engulfs Sangameswarar Temple in Bhavani, Erode, Tamil Nadu, August 1, 2024.
Tamil Nadu experienced an unprecedented influx of water from the Cauvery River throughout July, exceeding its allocated quota for both July and August.
From July 1-31, the state received a staggering 96.5 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) of water, primarily due to heavy rainfall in the river’s catchment areas in Karnataka and Kerala. In stark contrast, June saw only 2.25 tmc ft against a quota of 9.19 tmc ft. Over the past two months, Tamil Nadu has recorded nearly 98.8 tmc ft, far surpassing its allocation of 40.43 tmc ft.
For July, Tamil Nadu is slated to receive 31.24 tmc ft, followed by 45.95 tmc ft in August. According to the final ruling of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, modified by the Supreme Court in February 2018, Tamil Nadu’s annual share is set at 177.25 tmc ft, starting in June. A detailed monthly schedule has been established for Karnataka to facilitate Tamil Nadu’s share realization at Billigundlu on the inter-State border.
Given the prescribed allocation of 123.14 tmc ft for the period from June to September, Tamil Nadu was approximately 25 tmc ft short as of July 31. However, the current surge in river flow suggests that this deficit has likely been mitigated in the past couple of days.
Earlier in July, tension arose between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka due to water shortages, prompting all-party meetings to address the respective states’ positions.
In the Cauvery delta, Tamil Nadu farmers cultivated paddy on approximately 3.21 lakh acres as of July 29 during the Kuruvai season, independent of Cauvery water from the Mettur dam. Since July 28, water has been released from the dam due to increasing flows, with inflows peaking at 1.71 lakh cusecs and discharges nearly matching at 1.68 lakh cusecs on Friday morning.
Of the 3.21 lakh acres cultivated, Thanjavur district comprises about 1.09 lakh acres, Mayiladuthurai accounts for roughly 94,000 acres, Tiruvarur has 78,000 acres, and Cuddalore contains around 24,000 acres. This remarkable achievement has been facilitated by groundwater utilization, filter points, and the state’s free electricity scheme for farmers.
