NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for the next two days and reminded it that in a federal structure of democracy, the duty of every State is not limited to its own people but also to fellow states. “We are in a federal structure and in a democracy like India, no State can say it will not obey the Supreme Court’s order. You cannot pick up fight with everyone. It is not about Karnataka or Tamil Nadu or any State, there has to be federal cooperativism,” the bench said.
Brushing aside the Karnataka Assembly’s resolution of not sharing Cauvery water, a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and U U Lalit ordered Karnataka to open its reservoirs on September 28 and 29 so that the 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water can flow to Tamil Nadu on both days and said this release of water would be adjusted in the future adjudication of the inter-State dispute. The court entrusted Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi the task of facilitating a meeting between the Executive Heads of the two States.