Entitled to 30 TMC of water but no time for dispute; Kerala's stance on Cauvery

KOCHI: While Karnataka and Tamil Nadu continue to dispute over Cauvery river water, Kerala has maintained restraint on the issue. According to the Supreme Court and the Cauvery Tribunal, Kerala is entitled to 30 TMC of water in the river annually. Since the water situation in the state is relatively good, Kerala doesn’t bother to enter into a dispute, nor does Karnataka voluntarily provide water.

The water dispute, which began during the Mysore dynasty in the 19th century, ended with the final order of the Cauvery Tribunal in 2007. The tribunal estimated the water to be shared as 740 TMC. 419 TMC was divided for Tamil Nadu, 270 for Karnataka, 30 for Kerala, 7 for Puducherry, and 14 for environmental purposes.

The tribunal order was revised by the Supreme Court in 2018. Tamil Nadu's share was reduced by 14.75 TMC and given to Karnataka. The share that Karnataka had to release to others was recalculated to 177.25 TMC. However, Kerala's share remained the same. Kerala had asked for 99.8 TMC. If water scarcity worsens in the future, the state may have to depend on Cauvery water.

Cauvery Basin

It originates in the Western Ghats and joins the Bay of Bengal. It flows mainly through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and is 800 km long. The Kabani, Bhavani, and Pamba rivers flowing east from Kerala are the tributaries of the Cauvery. The water share was allocated proportionally to this. Water is distributed through the Krishnarajasagar and Kabani reservoirs.

TMC

One TMC (Thousand Million Cubic Feet) means one billion cubic feet of water. One TMC of water can irrigate 10,000 acres of crops in one season. A city with a population of 1 million can use it for 7 months.