Tamil Nadu has filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court on Wednesday against Karnataka averring that the latter had not complied with the orders of the apex court directing it to release 2.44 TMC of water on February 7.
“Karnataka has deliberately started the release of about 2,000 cusecs from the KRS to plead that it has complied with the order of the apex court whereas in effect, it has willfully disobeyed the order of the court by releasing very low quantity of water from Krishnarajasagar and Kabini reservoirs,” TN stated. The realisation of water in Mettur reservoir as on February 12 is 127 cusecs. If such a situation continues, the realisation of 2.44 TMC ordered to be realised in Mettur will take about 220 days, which is neither the purport nor the directions of this court, Tamil Nadu said.
Terming Karnataka CM, the Minister for Water Resources of Karnataka, the Chief Secretary of Karnataka, the Principal Secretary, Water Resources Department and the Secretary, Water Resources Department the respondents in the petition, TN contended that the respondents were the persons who are responsible for implementation of the SC orders.
The SC had on February 4 directed TN to release 2 TMC from its storage to save the standing crops. Subsequently, TN issued a GO to release water from Mettur reservoir from February 4 and regulate the flows so as to ensure that 2 TMC be released from Mettur reservoir to save the standing crops.