Cauvery committee rules in favour of TN, Karnataka cries foul
12 Oct 2012 8:10 AM IST
The much-anticipated meeting of the Cauvery Monitoring Committee [CMC] decided that Tamil Nadu would get 8.85 thousand million cubic feet [tmc] of water next fortnight. Karnataka, however, said that it would not accept the award.
The award of the committee is based on the findings of a central team that visited Karnataka and Tamil Nadu last week.
Sources said that the award was clear that Tamil Nadu should receive 8.85 tmc of water between 16 and 31 October. 'Karnataka may also not have to release water from its reservoirs.... It may be available in the catchment areas,' an official said.
He said the committee would meet again on 29 October to review the situation and much would depend on the north-east monsoon, which is likely to hit Tamil Nadu. 'If the monsoon is successful, the decision could be changed with effect from 29 October itself,' he said.
In September, the Cauvery River Authority [CRA], chaired by the prime minister, had directed Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu between 20 September and 15 October. The CMC was to decide on the availability of water for Tamil Nadu after 15 October.
Though it is only an interim award, the Karnataka government is free to approach the CRA or the Supreme Court seeking a review, the sources said. The Karnataka government has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to review by 12 October the CRA order.
In a letter to the union water resources minister P K Bansal, the Karnataka water resources minister Basavaraj Bommai noted that the prime minister had the power to review the decision under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act.
Concerned over the plight of Tamil Nadu farmers as a fallout of the Cauvery crisis, the union shipping minister G K Vasan appealed to the prime minister on Thursday to impress upon Karnataka to release water from its dams to Tamil Nadu to save crops. 'Karnataka not releasing water to Tamil Nadu is a wrong decision which should not be allowed,' he said.
The award of the committee is based on the findings of a central team that visited Karnataka and Tamil Nadu last week.
Sources said that the award was clear that Tamil Nadu should receive 8.85 tmc of water between 16 and 31 October. 'Karnataka may also not have to release water from its reservoirs.... It may be available in the catchment areas,' an official said.
He said the committee would meet again on 29 October to review the situation and much would depend on the north-east monsoon, which is likely to hit Tamil Nadu. 'If the monsoon is successful, the decision could be changed with effect from 29 October itself,' he said.
In September, the Cauvery River Authority [CRA], chaired by the prime minister, had directed Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu between 20 September and 15 October. The CMC was to decide on the availability of water for Tamil Nadu after 15 October.
Though it is only an interim award, the Karnataka government is free to approach the CRA or the Supreme Court seeking a review, the sources said. The Karnataka government has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to review by 12 October the CRA order.
In a letter to the union water resources minister P K Bansal, the Karnataka water resources minister Basavaraj Bommai noted that the prime minister had the power to review the decision under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act.
Concerned over the plight of Tamil Nadu farmers as a fallout of the Cauvery crisis, the union shipping minister G K Vasan appealed to the prime minister on Thursday to impress upon Karnataka to release water from its dams to Tamil Nadu to save crops. 'Karnataka not releasing water to Tamil Nadu is a wrong decision which should not be allowed,' he said.
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