The Supreme Court on Friday refused to pass any interim order regarding the Tamil Nadu government’s request for the release of 24,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily from Karnataka for standing crops.
A bench comprising Justice BR Gavai, Justice PK Misra, and Justice PS Narasimha asked the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) for a report on the quantity of water released by Karnataka. This follows after Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati informed the court about an upcoming CWMA meeting scheduled for Monday.
“We do not possess any expertise on the matter,” the ASG informed, stating that the authority will meet on Monday to decide the water discharge for the next fortnight. The bench, including Justices PS Narasimha and PK Mishra, added, “We find it appropriate for the CWMA to submit its report on whether the issued directions for water discharge have been complied with by September 1.”
The Karnataka government on Thursday filed an affidavit before the top court in the Cauvery water-sharing dispute. The Karnataka government has opposed Tamil Nadu’s application for the release of 24,000 cusecs of water daily per day from the reservoirs in Karnataka.
Karnataka government said that Tamil Nadu’s application is based on an assumption that this year is the normal rainwater year.
The government said that Tamil Nadu’s application that Karnataka to ensure the release of 36.76 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) stipulated for September 2023 has no legal basis since the said quantity is stipulated in a normal water year and this water year, being a distressed water year so far, it is not applicable.
The Karnataka government further stated that the application filed by the Tamil Nadu government is based on an “erroneous assumption” that this year is a normal rainwater year. Despite the fact that rainfall has been 25 percent lower and inflow into four reservoirs in Karnataka has been 42.5 percent lower up to August 9, as recorded by the Cauvery Water Management Authority, the Karnataka government stated in its affidavit.
“During this water year, the southwest monsoon has largely failed so far. Due to the failure of the southwest monsoon, distress conditions have arisen in the Cauvery basin in Karnataka. Karnataka is therefore not obliged to, and it cannot be compelled to ensure water as per the stipulated releases prescribed for a normal year,” it added.