Cauvery was in high tide enveloping Sangameswarar temple at Bhavani, Erode, Tamil Nadu on the 1st of August 2024.
Tamil Nadu experienced such a massive quantity of Cauvery water during July that it didn’t just exhaust its share for that month and August but also much more over.
Between July 1 and July 31, the State received 96.5 tmc ft thanks to torrential rainfall in the catchment areas of the river in Karnataka and Kerala. In June, it got only 2.25 tmc ft as against a provision of 9.19 tmc ft. Altogether Tamil Nadu has had an excess of nearly 98.8 tmc ft above its monthly allocation of 40.43 tmc ft for two months.
During July, Tamil Nadu will receive approximately 31.24 tmc ft and in August, about 45.95 tmc ft. Also according to this final award by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal as modified by the Supreme Court on February, 2018, Tamil Nadu is entitled to receive 177.25 tmc ft every year beginning from June. A monthly schedule has been drawn up for Karnataka to ensure that Billigundlu on the border between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu receives water from any source that would account for an amount equivalent to what Tamil Nadu is supposed to get.
Based on prescribed quantity of 123-14 TMCFT for June-September period up to July end Tamil Nadu fell short by nearly 25 TMCFT even if assuming inflow till date is maintained. So much so that with such high flow rate in the river now being registered, even this amount could have been covered within last couple days itself.
Only early into July were KKR and TN arguing over water shortages; all-party meetings were held while both sides insisted on their respective positions.
On the other hand, Kuruvai crop has been cultivated in Cauvery delta of Tamil Nadu 3.21 lakh acres till July 29 by farmers without depending on water from cauvery released from Mettur dam. On July 28, however, water was released from Mettur Dam following heavy inflows. In Friday morning, inflow to the dam was 1.71 lakh cusecs while the discharge into river now exceeded 1.68 lakh cusecs.
Thanjavur houses about 1.09 lakh acres out of approximately the total of about 3.21 lakh acres; Mayiladuthurai-94k; Tiruvarur-78000; and Cuddalore-24000. This pall has fallen due to groundwater-filter points and free power for agriculture provided to farmers
