JOIN USEven as Karnataka is reeling under severe drought, a team of officers from Tamil Nadu will hold discussions with the state government on Saturday seeking Cauvery water.
Official sources in the Tamil Nadu government said that the a team comprising three principal secretaries and the chairman of a water board would hold a meeting with Chief Secretary to Karnataka government, Subhash Chandra Khuntia and Principal Secretary to Water Resources department, Rakesh Singh among others. The meeting is scheduled to be held at the Vidhana Soudha around 3 pm.
The Tamil Nadu delta region is facing water shortage as the Cauvery basin has almost dried up. The total water available in the four reservoirs of Cauvery basin as on March 31, 2017 is 8.86 tmc against the live storage capacity of 104.55 tmc.
Krishnarajasagar reservoir in Mandya district has 77.31 ft of water against the full level of 124.80 ft. This is said to be the lowest storage in the last decade, according to sources in the government. However, sources say that with the present availability, drinking water could be supplied to Bengaluru and villages in the vicinity till the first week of June.
It is said that the Tamil Nadu has been making efforts for an out-of-court solution for the Cauvery issue, which appears unlikely given the severe water shortage in the river basin.