New Delhi/Bengaluru : With the Karnataka Government refusing to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court on Friday took away the control of all the four major reservoirs across the river from the State and handed over the same to the Central Cauvery Water Management Board.
At the same time, Karnataka has been asked to release 6000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for six days starting tomorrow. That works to 3.1 tmc. It the water is not released, Karnataka will face the wrath of the court, the apex court said.
If Karnataka releases or does not release water, the Cauvery Board would be set up in three days. This assurance was given by the Attorney General to the Supreme Court. The chairman of the Board and other officials would be appointed by the Centre. With the setting up of the board, the tussle between the judiciary and the Karnataka legislature did not come to a conflict level. The water would now be released by the Board, not the State government.
But the Court asked the Karnataka government to release 6000 cusecs of water every day starting tomorrow for the next six days to Tamil Nadu. This would work out to 3.1 TMC. If the government refuses to do so, the Board would step in. The setting up of the Board is a serious blow to Karnataka which has been historically exercising control over the four major reservoirs. Now, with the setting up of the Board, the farmers in the Cauvery basin would have to knock at the doors of the new masters of the reservoirs.
A worried Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called for an all-party meeting on Saturday to find a solution even as protests broke out in Mandya and the Cauvery basin. The release of water would further deplete the reservoir levels and this would seriously impact the drinking water needs of Mysuru and Bengaluru.
On Friday last, a special session of both Houses of the legislature in Karnataka had passed a resolution stating that Cauvery water is available only to meet the drinking water needs of the people in the Cauvery basin, Mysuru and Bengaluru. The resolution expressed inability of the State to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as directed by the Supreme Court. Reacting to the verdict, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda said gross injustice has been done to Karnataka.
