Bangalore: Karnataka has started releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu on the request of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chief Minister N Dharam Singh said today (Jun 18, 2004).

Water was flowing from Kabini reservoir and not from Krishnaraja Sagar, Hemavathy and Harangi, Singh told reporters.

Singh said that the water release which began yesterday (Jun 17, 2004) would continue for another three days.

Decision on further releases would be taken after reviewing the situation which depended on inflows, he said.

Singh said that the Prime Minister who had a telephonic conversation with him yesterday, requested Karnataka to release some water to Tamil Nadu to help farmers there.

He said that about 14,000 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water was being released daily from the Kabini reservoir which had inflows of 21,000 to 23,000 cusecs.

According to official sources, the State is expected to release 3 TMC ft (thousand million cubic feet).

Singh said in the wake of higher inflows into the reservoir, the irrigation department officials suggested that the water has to be let out keeping in mind the dam safety as the water level was about to touch the danger mark.