TIA NEWS /
The Supreme Court today direted Karnataka to release 6000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu per day from tomorrow till Sept 27. Hearing a petition related to Cauvery water dispute, the apex court asked Centre to constitute Cauvery Water Management Board in four weeks as directed by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in its award.
The apex court raised the quantum of water to be given to Tamil Nadu and fixed by the Supervisory Committee by 3 thousand cusecs. It allowed Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to file objections to Cauvery supervisory committee report in 3 days. A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and U U Lalit also directed the Centre to produce before it on the next date of hearing, the notification indicating that the water management board has been constituted.
The apex court took note of the fact that no consensus was reached among the states before the Supervisory Committee and Union Water Resources Secretary and Chairman of the Committee used his power to ask Karnataka to release 3000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu.
In Tamil Nadu, delta farmers have welcomed the Supreme Court order to set up Cauvery management Board within four weeks. The delta farmers associations were for long demanding setting up of the Board. Earlier today, water was released from Mettur Dam for delta irrigation.
In a statement in Chennai, the state Congress chief Su. Thirunavukkarasar has said the Supreme Court has given the verdict based on the principles of law and justice by looking beyond inter-state geographical borders. The MDMK General Secretary Vaiko in a statement has said the apex court direction would serve to deliver justice for Tamil Nadu.
The PMK leader and former union minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has said the formation of the Cauvery Management Board has been delayed for political reasons and the Supreme Court direction would reinstall hope among the Delta farmers.
The formation of the Cauvery Management Board has been a long pending demand in Tamil Nadu. The interstate water disputes tribunal in its final award in February 2007 asked the Centre to establish the powerful institution along with the Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority. However, the notification of the final award itself was made only in February 2013, after a delay of six years, following the intervention of the apex court.
Jayalalithaa claimed victory
The AIADMK government led by J.Jayalalithaa claimed it as a victory for its fight to establish the rights of the state. Since then, setting up of the Cauvery Management Board has been a vociferous demand in Tamil Nadu. Now that the Supreme Court has asked the Centre to form the Board, the hopes of farmers about sustainable agriculture have got rekindled.
Karnataka CM call all party meet
Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah has said that Cabinet meeting tomorrow morning will discuss the next course of action on Supreme Court order to release water to Tamil Nadu. Speaking to media persons after holding meeting with senior cabinet ministers, he also announced holding a meeting with the leaders of the Opposition in legislative Assembly and Council tomorrow evening.
BJP state President B S Yeddyurappa has urged the Government to immediately convene the legislative Assembly session to discuss the pros and cons of the verdict of the Supreme Court and implications of the constitution of the Water Management Board. He has termed the verdict as most impractical, unscientific and grossly unfair. JD(S) party leader H D Kumaraswamy has demanded that legislative Assembly should be resolved immediately as legislators in the state have failed to safeguard the interest of the people in providing drinking water.
The Supreme Court order has triggered protests in basin region and other parts of the state. Chief Minister has asked people to be peaceful and only hold peaceful protests. He expressed shock at that Supreme court order and noted that Cauvery Supervisory Committee direction to release 3000 cusecs was based on ground reality but still Supreme Court has increased it to 6000 cusecs. Karnataka needs water for drinking water and Tamil Nadu needs it for cultivation.
The verdict meanwhile has triggered protests all over the state. Pro Kannada organizations have planned agitations tomorrow. In this background security is beefed up especially in sensitive areas with Central para military forces holding flag march.