NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday Tamil Nadu’s plea seeking urgent directions to Karnataka to release its share of Cauvery water.
As per the cause list for August 17, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta will hear the matter. The apex court had on August 12 listed the petitions filed by the Tamil Nadu government and others, including the DMK, for hearing on August 17.
Tamil Nadu has sought the immediate release of water, stating that crops in the Cauvery delta depend on timely supplies from Karnataka. The state has cited distress and delay in the release as grounds for urgent intervention.
The Cauvery water-sharing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka has seen repeated litigation, with both states approaching the Supreme Court for directions based on the tribunal’s award and subsequent verdicts.
On August 3, the Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking directions to Karnataka for the immediate release of Cauvery water. Tamil Nadu told the court that there was no practical hurdle for Karnataka to release its proportional due share.
Citing heavy rain in the KRS and Kabini catchment areas and increased inflows into Karnataka’s dams, Tamil Nadu said Karnataka had failed to release even 3,500 cusecs of water for 15 days as directed by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).
According to a state government release, the CWRC, at its 139th meeting on July 28, directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs from the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini reservoirs from July 29 for 15 days, ending August 12.
The CWMA, at its 54th emergency meeting on July 30, reviewed the hydrological and meteorological conditions in the Cauvery basin and endorsed the committee’s decision.
“However, between July 29 and August 2, the actual flow received at Biligundlu on the TN-Karnataka border ranged only between 158 and 550 cusecs, much below the quantity directed by the authorities,” the release said.
As on August 3, Karnataka’s four major Cauvery basin reservoirs — KRS, Kabini, Harangi and Hemavathi — together held 77.537 tmcft of water, including a live storage of 67.517 tmcft.
“So, Karnataka is therefore in a position to release Tamil Nadu's proportionate share of water without difficulty," the release added.
“On the basis of the prevailing hydrological conditions, Tamil Nadu is entitled to receive 26.954 tmcft of water at Biligundlu under the principle of proportional sharing. The 4.536 tmcft directed to be released by the CWMA was itself inadequate in the changed circumstances,” the government pointed out.