A day after studying the four dams across Cauvery river in Karnataka, a Central Government team is in Tamil Nadu today to assess the situation in the Delta areas of the State.

The team, led by Central Water Commission chairman G.S. Jha, comprises CWC member S. Masood Hussain, Krishna and Godavari Basin Organisation chief engineer R.K. Gupta and representatives of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Union Government to send an expert team to the river basin areas in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and submit a report on the ground realities in both the States to the division bench by October 17.

“The team will take note the availability of water in both the States, which are affected by a deficit monsoon rains this year,” said an official.

The apex court will resume the next hearing of the case on October 18, after Karnataka agreed to release 2,000 cusecs per day from October 7 to 18 as directed on Tuesday.

In view of the visit of the high level technical committee on Cauvery water issue constituted by the Union Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Ministry in compliance of the orders of the Supreme Court of India, the Tamil Nadu Government has set up a team of top officials to brief the situation to the Delhi committee.
On Friday night, Tamil Nadu Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao enquired about the arrangements made for the visit and information to be presented to the committee to protect the welfare of farmers in Tamil Nadu, during a meeting with senior State Ministers.

Public Works Minister Edappadi Palanisamy explained in detail about the arrangements and related matters. Earlier in the day in Bengaluru, Karnataka Water Resource Minister M.B. Patil made a detailed presentation of distress situation in the Cauvery basin and said the State was expected to fall short of 20 tmcft of water this year.

Patil made the presentation before the high-level technical team, which embarked on a trip to the basin area on Friday.