Supreme Court refuses to allow Tamil Nadu's plea for additional Cauvery water

In a fresh plea, the Karnataka government on Wednesday asked the Court to direct the water management authority to reconsider its orders on the release of Cauvery river water, claiming that these orders were perverse, illegal and liable to be set aside.

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to interfere with the directions issued by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to Karnataka to release 5000 cusecs of water per day for Tamil Nadu.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai, P S Narasimha and Prashant Kumar Mishra noted the order had been passed considering distress situations due to poor monsoon, average inflows and other relevant factors into mind.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Tamil Nadu, submitted that as this was deficit year, the regulatory authorities decided for Karnataka to release 7,200 cusecs of water everyday but the figure has been rounded off to make it 5,000 cusecs everyday. He claimed the Cauvery Water Management Authority has mechanically approved the decisions taken by the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee.

Rohatgi also contended it was the question of 5 lakh acres of standing crops in Tamil Nadu.

"These are all interim measures decided by the experts bodies," the bench said, disposing of a plea filed by Tamil Nadu.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati as well as senior advocate S Wasim Qadri, on behalf of the Union government, submitted that Karnataka has supplied water as per the directions.

Senior advocates Shyam Divan and Mohan Katarki, appearing for Karnataka, submitted in fact that the order for the release of 5,000 cusecs per day was against the interest of the state. Here it was not only the issue of standing crops but drinking water needs of Bengaluru, Mysuru and Mandya districts of the state, they said.

The court noted both the CWRC and CWMA had considered all relevant factors in issuing orders, including over 48 per cent per cent less rainfall to arrive at its conclusion, so it was not inclined to interfere with the matter, it added.

On September 18, the authority reiterated the decision of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, asking Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water to Tamil Nadu for another 15 days.