Bengaluru: The State government has expressed its inability to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as stipulated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal as the level of water in its reservoirs is extremely low.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters on Tuesday that the State had released water whenever it had good storage. At present, we are facing severe water shortage and since will be unable to release water to Tamil Nadu. We will convey the decision to the court, he said.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra too echoed the CM’s stand on Cauvery water release. “We will present the complete details on deficient rains, poor storage, drinking water needs and the decision not to release water for our own farmers to the Supreme Court,” he said.

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday moved the Supreme Court for an urgent directive to the Karnataka government to release 50.052 TMC feet of Cauvery water to irrigate the farmland of Tamil Nadu. The petition has contended that Tamil Nadu had not received 10 daily/monthly releases of water from June 1 to August 19, 2016, causing a cumulative shortfall of 50.052 tmcft at Biligundlu monitoring station.