Cauvery row: SC refuses to entertain TN's fresh plea

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain fresh application from Tamil Nadu to direct Karnataka to release 63 tmcft of water being the deficit quantity up to November 15 this year, pending final verdict. 
When counsel G. Umapthy made a mention before a Bench of Chief justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud about the filling of an application, the CJI told the counsel that as they are in the process of writing the judgment and hence further applications cannot be entertained.

The CJI, however, asked senior counsel Fali Nariman to find out from Karnataka the actual deficit to be supplied to Tamil Nadu.  

In its application, Tamil Nadu sought urgent directions to Karnataka to forthwith make good the cumulative shortfall of 62.881 TMC ft. as on November 15 during the current Normal water year 2017-2018, as per the Final Order dated Ferburary 5, 2007 passed by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. The State said that it realised at Billigundulu only 100.669 TMC ft. as against 163.500 TMC ft., leaving a cumulative shortfall of 63 TMC ft. as on 15.11.2017. It is evident that Karnataka failed to release water to TN as per monthly schedule fixed by the Tribunal, which has affected the agricultural operations in the State.

The Mettur Dam could not be thrown open for irrigation on the scheduled date of June 12 and water could not be provided for Kuruvai and for commencing Samba cultivation in time. It said the Mettur Dam was opened for irrigation only on October 2, this year and thus, cultivation commenced belatedly after about 3 months. Consequently, the irrigation period is to be extended beyond January 31, 2018.