Chennai: Karnataka government has only released 111 tmcft of water from Cauvery river to Tamil Nadu against the stipulated 192 tmcft every year, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Wednesday as he announced that steps were being taken to get the remaining quantum.
Responding to a question from DMK MLA Durai Chandrasekar on Cauvery delta area, Palaniswami told the Assembly that Karnataka has to release 192 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water to Tamil Nadu every year (May-April) according to the Cauvery Tribunal award in 2007.
“Till date (this year), (Karnataka) has given only 111 tmcft. The rest 81 tmcft has to be provided before May 2018,” Palaniswami said. To ensure that Tamil Nadu realised the rest of its share of water from Cauvery, the state was insisting Karnataka on the same, directly, as well as through the Centre, Palaniswami said.
“Steps are being taken to ensure relief from the Supreme Court also,” the Chief Minister added. He also pointed out that the apex court on Tuesday indicated it would deliver within a month its verdict on the decades old dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
“Enough of confusion has been there for past two decades. Any forum can touch the matter after the verdict is delivered in the issue. We will give the verdict in four weeks,” a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A. M. Khanwilkar and D. Y. Chandrachud had said on Tuesday.
