Tamil Nadu To Move Supreme Court As Karnataka 'Changes Stand' Over Cauvery Water Sharing

Tamil Nadu minister said the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee, in a meeting, had unanimously decided that 15,000 cusecs of water would be released by Karnataka each day for 15 days.

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu government decided to move Supreme Court over the ongoing Cauvery water dispute with Karnataka, claiming the neighbouring state has "changed its stand" and came forward to release only a reduced quantum of 8,000 cusecs of water as against 15,000 cusecs that was decided earlier, news agency PTI reported.

Speaking on the discussions at the Cauvery Water Management Authority meeting in Delhi on Friday, Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan said the state had emphatically put forth their requirement. Despite that, Karnataka changed its stand and said they would release only 8,000 cusecs of water, that too, till August 22.

The minister said that earlier on August 10, the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee, in a meeting had unanimously decided that 15,000 cusecs of water would be released by Karnataka each day for 15 days.

"Hence, the Tamil Nadu government has no other option but to approach the Supreme Court. Soon, a case will be filed in the apex court. Justice will win and we will get water as the Chief Minister MK Stalin-led government is determined," PTI quoted minister Duraimurugan as saying.

According to the report, the minister further said that the combined storage capacity of the four dams in Karnataka is 114.571 tmc ft and it has 93.535 tmc storage, which is about 82 per cent.

Alleging that Karnataka does not “have a heart” to share water with Tamil Nadu, Duraimurugan said this has been the stance of the Karnataka government ever since the Cauvery dispute arose decades back.

“Karnataka is not concerned even if the standing crops (Kuruvai, short-term paddy crop) wilt”, he said.

It is to be noted the decision of the Tamil Nadu government comes days after CM Stalin wrote to PM Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to ask Karnataka to release Cauvery water immediately for Kuruvai cultivation.

“The Supreme Court fixed the share of water to be delivered to Tamil Nadu at Billigundulu, as per the monthly schedule. But unfortunately, Karnataka is not honouring the above order in letter and spirit and is also not adhering to the directions of Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA),” he wrote.