New Delhi, Aug 24 — The Supreme Court on Monday permitted Tamil Nadu to approach the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) with its grievance that Karnataka was not releasing the State’s proportionate share of Cauvery water and posted the matter for hearing on August 31.
A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing Tamil Nadu’s plea seeking directions to Karnataka to release 26.954 tmcft of Cauvery water.
Senior advocate C.S. Vaidyanathan, appearing for Tamil Nadu, submitted that the State had received the water directed to be released by the CWMA as of Monday morning. However, he said Tamil Nadu’s grievance was that the CWMA had not directed Karnataka to make up the deficit in the proportionate quantity of water that the State was required to receive.
“We have to receive a proportionate quantity of water, that is unfortunately not happening,” Vaidyanathan submitted. The senior counsel informed the Justice Nath-led Bench that the CWMA was meeting on Monday and Tuesday and said Tamil Nadu would raise its grievance before the authority.
He requested the apex court to keep the matter for hearing on next Monday. Vaidyanathan also highlighted that Karnataka had around 78 tmcft of water in its Cauvery reservoirs, contending that Tamil Nadu was not receiving its proportionate share of the available water.
The Supreme Court thereafter posted the matter for August 31, observing that the parties could place an updated status of the water releases before it.
Tamil Nadu had approached the apex court seeking directions to Karnataka to release 26.954 tmcft of Cauvery water, alleging that the neighbouring State had failed to comply with directions issued by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the CWMA.
The plea followed a decision of the CWRC at its 139th meeting held on July 28, when it reviewed the hydrological and meteorological conditions in the Cauvery basin and directed Karnataka to ensure a flow of 3,500 cusecs at Biligundlu for 15 days, from July 29 to August 12.
The committee had also instructed Karnataka to regulate releases from the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini reservoirs to maintain the stipulated flow.
The CWMA, during its 54th emergency meeting held on July 30, examined the basin conditions and endorsed the CWRC’s recommendation.
However, Tamil Nadu alleged that the quantity of water received at Biligundlu after the order was far below its rightful share. The State had submitted that Karnataka’s four major Cauvery basin reservoirs together held 77.537 tmcft of water as of August 3. According to Tamil Nadu, the KRS reservoir had storage of 23.078 tmcft, Kabini 18.610 tmcft, Harangi 7.827 tmcft and Hemavathi 28.022 tmcft, with total utilisable storage stated to be 67.517 tmcft. Tamil Nadu had argued that, with such storage levels, Karnataka would have no difficulty in releasing its proportionate share of water.
It also pointed to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the KRS and Kabini reservoirs, resulting in a significant improvement in inflows. Tamil Nadu had maintained that, based on the prevailing hydrological conditions and the prescribed sharing formula, it should receive 26.954 tmcft of water at Biligundlu. By contrast, the release directed by the CWMA -- 3,500 cusecs for 15 days -- would amount to about 4.536 tmcft, which Tamil Nadu described as grossly inadequate.