Cauvery experts group: Fali Nariman to take final call

Bengaluru: The state government has decided to let its counsel in the Supreme Court, Fali Nariman take the final call on whether or not Karnataka should approve the Union Water Resource Ministry’s proposal to constitute a Group of Experts on the Cauvery River Water dispute.

A meeting of floor leaders of the state legislature called by the government here on Tuesday unanimously resolved to present their views on the matter to Mr Nariman, and leave it to him to take a final decision.

The Union Water Resource Ministry had come up with proposal to constitute a Group of Experts in February as the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal has not prescribed a formula for sharing of the water in times of distress. All the riparian states, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala were asked to give their comments and consent on the proposal.

The group is supposed to estimate water availability and demands in various scenarios such as a normal year, 75 per cent dependable year and 90 per cent dependable year.

It is also expected to come up with a procedure for determining water availability and to suggest supply and demand management options.

But as all the experts are to be appointed by the Union Water Ministry, some of the participants at Tuesday’s meeting were afraid this could leave the state without proper representation.

Advocate General, Madhusudan Naik, however, felt there were advantages in giving consent for the Group of Experts as the distress formula could then be easily calculated.

He also felt that the Special Leave Petition filed by Tamil Nadu for immediate release of water, which was coming up for hearing on July 11, could be put off if the group was formed, giving a breather to the state if the rain failed this year too.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil said that the state government would place its proceedings before Mr Nariman and go by his decision in the matter.