CHENNAI : The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday approached the Supreme Court seeking a direction to Union Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) to appoint an independent person as full-time chairman of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) as Masood Hussain, has been discharging the dual role of Chairman of CWMA and Central Water Commission (CWC) since the authority’s formation six months ago. TN sought a direction to appoint full-time members to CWMA as specified in the SC’s final verdict.
The move comes two days after opposition parties, at a special Assembly session, accused the government of failing to pre-empt the CWC’s move on the Mekedatu issue. “The CWMA, even after six months from the date of its constitution, is yet to be established in full strength.
The SC, in its order dated May 18, specifically directed that the draft scheme (CWMA and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee) ought to be taken forward to its logical end in accordance with law with utmost dispatch. But.. even a full time chairman and members for CWMA had not been appointed by the MoWR, i.e., the authority is yet to become fully functional,” the petition said.
Underscoring the fact that the Project Appraisal (South) Directorate, functioning under the present CWC chairman, had entertained the Pre-feasibility Report submitted by the instrumentalities of Karnataka for building a dam at Mekedatu besides granting permission for preparation of Detailed Project Report for the dam, TN said, “There is thus every likelihood of the above directorate being influenced by the decision taken by the authorities functioning under the Chairman, CWC, who is discharging a dual role. There is every likelihood of conflict of interest in the discharge of dual functions being done by the Chairman, CWC.”
Stating that functions of CWMA include monitoring the storage, apportionment and regulation and control of Cauvery waters, the petition said, however, the Director, Project Appraisal (South) functioning under Hussain, had no role to play in examining the proposed project which amounted to ‘overreaching’ the powers of CWMA. The State Assembly had adopted a resolution urging the CWC to withdraw the permission given to Karnataka for preparing a DPR for building a dam at Mekedatu.