Centre to seek 10 more days from Supreme Court on Cauvery Management Board

The Union water resources ministry is expected to inform the apex court that the draft scheme has been prepared but it needs to be fine-tuned and then sent for Cabinet approval.

Cauvery river (File photo)

NEW DELHI: The Centre may seek 10 more days from the Supreme Court on Tuesday to submit the ‘draft scheme’ for the formation of Cauvery Management Board, sources said. The Union government is likely to cite Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s letter to the Centre last month opposing the formation of the board saying it’s not constitutional and the court has not directed a mechanism to set up the same.

The Union water resources ministry is expected to inform the apex court that the draft scheme has been prepared but it needs to be fine-tuned and then sent for Cabinet approval before it can be submitted before the court. “We will be submitting efforts made by the ministry so far to prepare the draft scheme as sought by the Supreme Court,” a source in the ministry told The New Indian Express.

The development comes at a time when Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have blamed each other in their respective affidavits over sharing of Cauvery water.In its affidavit, the Siddaramaiah government claimed it isn’t in a position to release water to Tamil Nadu. The state claimed that 2017-18 has been a distress water year in the Cauvery basin.Tamil Nadu, however, said Karnataka was in a better position and could easily spare 4 tmc of Cauvery water as observed by the Supeme Court, even after meeting the requirement of drinking water supply in May, that is 1.6 tmc.

The Supreme Court had recently asked Karnataka to be ready to release 4 tmc of water to Tamil Nadu. But Karnataka, in its affidavit said it has already released around 16 tmc excess water to Tamil Nadu and won’t be able to share any more water as it barely has enough to fulfil its own needs. It also stated, “On applying the alleged distress sharing formula based on recorded flow as relied upon by the state of Tamil Nadu before this court claiming damages or short supply in distress year 2012-13, the share of Tamil Nadu, at the end of April 2018 at the inter-state border work out to 100.04 tmc.

“However, Karnataka has ensured 116.697 tmc at Billigundulu. Therefore, the excess ensured is 16.66 tmc. Even in the months of March and April of this distress year, the share of Tamil Nadu has been met by ensuring 1.4 tmc as against 1.24 tmc for March and 1.10 tmc as against 1.22 tmc for the month of April.Therefore, Karanataka has not committed any default in ensuring water releases, as alleged.”

“Even if Tamil Nadu were to draw for drinking water etc, at the rate of 719 cusec for the remaining 28 days in May and 30 days in June (if rainfall is delayed), the total drawls would be 3.60 tmcft. Therefore, there is no shortage for drinking water in the Cauvery basin area in Tamil Nadu,” Karnataka affidavit mentioned.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has also filed the affidavit and urged the top court for the release of water due to the state while reiterating its demand that the CMBbe set up at the earliest.During the previous hearing, the court sought information as to whether Karnataka complied with the releases during the months from February to April.Tamil Nadu had pointed out that there was a shortfall of about 1.4 tmc in April and Karnataka should ensure 2.5 tmc in May.

“It is evident that Karnataka acts as a judge of its own cause and fails to comply with the binding order of the tribunal as affirmed by the court. It would be appropriate that the issues relating to the implementation of the decision including the release of waters are dealt by the Cauvery Management Board,” Tamil Nadu said, adding there could not be any substitute to the machinery for the implementation of the final order of the tribunal as affirmed by the court.