Cauvery water dispute

Water being released from KRS Dam yesterday.

New Delhi, Aug. 17 (Agencies)- The Supreme Court (SC) this noon directed Karnataka to comply with the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) directions on the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

The Court also sought a status report from the CWMA. A Bench, comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta, was hearing a plea filed by Tamil Nadu seeking implementation of the CWMA’s direction requiring Karnataka to release water.

The Court posted Tamil Nadu’s plea for hearing on Aug. 24, saying the matter could be taken up then with an updated status of the water released by Karnataka. Tamil Nadu approached the Supreme Court on Aug. 3, alleging that it was not receiving its allocated share of Cauvery water despite the State facing a rain-deficient year.

It said, both the quantity recommended for release by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the water actually supplied by Karnataka were well below its requirement.

TN’s position

Appearing for Tamil Nadu, Senior Advocate C.S. Vaidyanathan told the Supreme Court that Karnataka was not complying with the CWMA’s directions and that the State was not receiving the water required for its farmers.

“As of this morning, they have 76 percent live storage in the reservoir,” he submitted, claiming that Tamil Nadu had received only 14 tmcft against the 64 tmcft it was entitled to under the Cauvery Water Disputes

 Tribunal award.

Even after accounting for the deficit in flows this year, Tamil Nadu claimed it should have received a proportionate 55.29 percent, leaving a backlog of about 20 tmcft.

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who visited Kodagu yes-terday, reverentially drinks Cauvery water at Triveni Sangama in Bhagamandala as his wife Usha and others look on.

Karnataka’s stand

Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Karnataka Government, disputed the allegation of non-compliance and said the State was facing “extremely severe distress” in the Cauvery basin.

He said the CWMA had taken the situation into account while issuing its directions. According to Divan, the first CWMA direction required Karnataka to ensure a release of 3,500 cusecs for 15 days, up to Aug. 11. He said Karnataka had not only met the requirement but had released substantially more water during the period.

He informed the Court that the flow this morning had risen to 12,607 cusecs and that the reservoir gates had been opened. Karnataka, he said, would endeavour to maintain the CWMA-directed flow of 12,000 cusecs despite the difficulties faced by the State.  

The Bench questioned Karnataka’s position on compliance with the 12,000-cusecs direction and observed that the matter should be reviewed after a further period.

Case listed for Aug. 24

The Court subsequently adjourned the matter for a week. In its order, the Bench directed Karnataka to ensure compliance with the CWMA directions and ordered that the case be listed on Aug. 24 so that the latest status of water releases could be placed before the Court.