NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Karnataka government to continue supplying 2000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu daily while fixing appeals filed by TN, Karnataka and Kerala against the tribunal award for final hearing from July 11.
The court also refused to stay Kerala’s projects of Attapady Valley and Pattissery dams but demanded an undertaking from the State that water flow to Tamil Nadu won’t be affected if the dams are constructed.
A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said that it will hear the case for 15 consecutive working days while reiterating its earlier order to Karnataka for providing 2000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu till further orders.
During the hearing, senior advocate Shekhar Naphade appearing for Tamil Nadu, alleged that Kerala is drawing water in excess of what has been allocated to it by the tribunal to build check dams across inter-State Bhavani river, which is a tributary of Cauvery, for its irrigation project and it is affecting the flow of water to the State. “Due to this, the western part of Tamil Nadu is facing acute shortages for irrigation and meeting other water requirements,” Naphade added.
However, the counsel appearing for Kerala said that the State is not using the Cauvery water to build dam or the irrigation project and due care would be taken to maintain the water level.
On this, the bench asked Kerala government to furnish an affidavit in two weeks stating that the flow of water will not be hindered if the dam project goes on.
“Your words that no Cauvery water is being used for the projects are being used as undertaking and you should inform the State government in this regard forthwith,” the bench said while disposing of the pleas filed by Tamil Nadu government against Kerala’s projects of Attapady Valley and Pattissery Dams.