Bangalore: After maintaining a tough posture, Karnataka Chief Minister N Dharam Singh today (June 17, 2004) assured Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that he would consider the request for release of Cauvery water, which started flowing into Tamil Nadu following heavy monsoon rains in the catchment areas.

Shortly after the Prime Minister spoke to him over phone, Singh told reporters that he explained the situation prevailing in the Cauvery delta to him but no commitment was given on the quantum of release.

Singh said he told the Prime Minister that since the water level in the Kabini reservoir was nearing the full reservoir level, he would depute an Irrigation Department senior official to study the situation.

As the two States were locked in a wrangle, both KRS (Krishna Raja Sagar) and Kabini reservoirs maintained a rise in the water level and the first flood flow of water from Kabini began, which in turn would help improve the water level in Mettur reservoir in Tamil Nadu, kindling the hopes of farmers in the delta.

Sources in Delhi said the Prime Minister spoke to Singh after chairing a 45-minute meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs specially convened to discuss the Cauvery issue, which was snowballing with both States sticking to their hard positions.

An official delegation from Tamil Nadu had met the Karnataka Chief Minister yesterday but returned empty handed just as the one led by DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) did last week with Karnataka giving no firm commitment on the release.

As the water level in the Kabini reservoir began rising and reached just five feet short of the maximum reservoir level of 2,284 ft with an inflow of 21,000 cusecs, 5,000 cusecs was let into the Kapila river, official sources said.

Kapila, which originates in Wynad region of Kerala, which has been receiving heavy rains for the past few days, joins the Cauvery at T Narsipur. The Cauvery then meanders through Kollegal taluk and flows towards the Mettur reservoir.

Keeping hopes of more rainfall during the season lasting till mid-August alive, the irrigation authorities are maintaining the level at the Kabini reservoir just two feet below the maximum level in the interest of the safety of the dam, with the flood inflow being let into the river, sources said.

This outflow of flood water reaching the Mettur has raised the hopes of farmers in Tamil Nadu, where parties have been building pressure on the Centre to prevail upon Karnataka to spare Cauvery water to their state for Kurvai crop.