The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, which met in New Delhi on Tuesday, directed Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days from August 12. Speaking to reporters here, the State Water Resources Minister said Karnataka would not have faced any difficulty in releasing water if it had been asked to release a smaller quantity, considering the state's water availability. Sporadic protests by farmers have erupted in Cauvery basin districts, including Mandya and Mysuru, against the order to release water. Earlier, on July 28, the CWRC had directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days. Citing poor storage levels in its reservoirs, Karnataka had initially maintained that it was unable to release water to the neighbouring state.