New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday posted for final hearing on October 18 a batch of three special leave petitions filed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala challenging the final award passed by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal on February 5, 2007.
Senior counsel Fali Nariman, appearing for Karnataka made a mention before the Bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur for early hearing of the appeals pointing out that last week Justice J. Chelameswar had recused himself from the case. The CJI agreed to list the appeals for final hearing from October 18.
In its SLP, Tamil Nadu said that the Tribunal had held valid the agreements of 1892 and 1924 (between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka). But it did not protect the existing irrigation area in the Cauvery basin of TN.
The Tribunal reduced the area from 29.27 lakh acres to 24.70 lakh acres. It erred in granting new irrigation areas in Karnataka. It said that this determination of the areas by reducing the existing irrigated area in Tamil Nadu and allowing the proposed area to be brought under irrigation by Karnataka were contrary to the principle of equitable allotment of water of the inter-State river. Karnataka in its SLP questioned the methodology adopted by the Tribunal in apportioning water to the three states and to Puducherry.
