"There is a lot of pressure. You can talk to my seniors," he said and walked off.

On the directions of the Supreme Court over the Cauvery River row, seven men, their instruments and a boat are literally standing between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Their job is to ensure that Karnataka releases 12000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily till September 20 to Tamil Nadu, not a drop more or less.

However, measuring the fast moving water with a speed of over 6 metre/second which runs a course of 800km for a mere 12000 cusecs is not an easy task. Adding to this the politics and emotions attached.

Also read: Chennai RJ's Cauvery take: Remember, it was Karnataka that helped us during floods

CENTRE LINE SEPARATING THE STATES



Biligundulu is a small village located on the border dividing the two states where the Cauvery flows by from Karnataka's Krishna Raj Sagar dam into Tamil Nadu. On the outskirts is a Central Water Commission (CWC) facility where the river channel separates the two states by 160m. The seven member CWC team calls this as the 'centre line'.

"Every morning, the team led by a junior engineer boards the boat and sails from one bank to the other. As they sail, they drop their equipment into the river to measure the velocity of the flowing water. They do this at 15 distinct points for the 160m distance. The values they get are multiplied with the area to arrive at the quantity of water which is released per second. This is then extrapolated to arrive at the quantity of water released through the day," said a CWC staffer who did not wish to be named.

The derived data is kept secure and is shared when violations are seen or a state or the court officially seeks the same. The villagers said this is a routine which is followed from 8am to 10am, everyday.

Also read: Cauvery row: Naam Tamilar cadre sets himself ablaze during anti-Karnataka protest in Chennai, hospitalised

What if, once they are done, authorities at the KRS dam slowly curb the flow of water?



HOW CAUVERY WATER LEVEL IS MEASURED



Informed sources pointed out that one CWC staffer visits the centre line every hour to see whether or not the river remains at the level it was in the morning. In case the level comes down, the matter is immediately flagged to their senior officers.

"Ever since the Supreme Court stepped in, that has not happened. In any case, the instructions to the staff at Biligundulu are very clear. They are not supposed to interact with the states at all. If either of the states contact them for anything, they are to refer them to the senior officers," said a source.

Also read: Cauvery dispute: SC pulls up Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, says maintain peace



At the site, the team arrived exactly at 8am. The boat, which was moored by a rope, was freed and the team boarded wearing their life vests. While three men rowed the boat, others collected data. The current in the river was too strong. The boat, as a result, was firmly tied to an overhead cable which connected both the banks. By clinging to the overhead cable, the boat became stable enough to let the crew pick up the values. After almost two hours, the worked out crew came back.

So what were the measurements like? "We are not supposed to talk to you. Please talk to our seniors," said another team member.