BENGALURU/MANDYA: Did Karnataka quietly begin releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu from Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS), even as it prepares to challenge the order in the Supreme Court? A BJP claim that water was released around midnight has raised that question, though the government has not publicly confirmed the release.The development is significant in Mandya, where any release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu is closely watched by farmers, political parties and local residents.BJP Mandya unit spokesperson Manjunath C T said water was released from KRS around midnight and that the flow in the Cauvery river increased afterwards.The claim comes after the Cauvery Water Management Authority endorsed the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s direction to Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days from August 12. Karnataka has decided to challenge the direction in the Supreme Court on Monday.Water Resources Department officials said Karnataka may release some water to show that it is not completely defying the Cauvery authorities’ direction while maintaining its legal challenge. Such a move could help the state demonstrate before the Supreme Court that it has not ignored the order altogether, they added.Karnataka had earlier maintained that releasing the directed quantity would affect water availability for farmers and drinking-water needs.Manjunath alleged that any release would contradict the government’s earlier position. He also shared a video purportedly showing water being released from the dam, though the circumstances and timing of the footage could not be independently established.Security has meanwhile been strengthened around the KRS reservoir in Srirangapatna, with civil police deployed alongside the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force to prevent people from entering the dam premises.
