Can't release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu until year end: Karnataka to SC
New Delhi: Two days after passing a unanimous resolution in the Legislature on reserving water for drinking, Karnataka on Monday told the Supreme Court that it would not be able to release Cauvery water to neighbour Tamil Nadu until the year end.
The apex court had directed Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for seven days till tomorrow.
Karnataka expressed inability to release water, saying its reservoirs don't have adequate water.
Urging the court to modify its order, Karnataka said that the water, which comes to 42,000 cusecs, should be treated as "arrears" and can be released by the end of December.
Karnataka, in its fresh plea, had expressed inability to implement the apex court order on various grounds including the fact that it does not have adequate water to supply to its cities including Bengaluru.
A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra on September 20 had directed Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu till September 27, while raising the quantum fixed by the Supervisory Committee by 3,000 cusecs.
After the SC verdict, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said, “This is an unimplementable order.”
The total quantum of water as specified by the Cauvery Supervisory Committee order would have seen Karnataka release 30,000 cusecs of water for ten days. Instead, with the Apex Court order, the water released to Tamil Nadu was increased to 42,000 cusecs of water.
The apex court had on September 20 also directed the Centre to constitute within four weeks the Cauvery Water Management Board (CWMB) as directed by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in its award.
On September 12, the apex court had asked both the states to ensure that "law and order" prevails.
It had modified its earlier order on sharing of Cauvery water and directed Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs instead of 15,000 cusecs per day till September 20 to Tamil Nadu.
The apex court bench was also critical of the language used in the plea of Karnataka seeking to keep in abeyance the September 5 order asking it to release 15,000 cusecs water per day to Tamil Nadu.
