SC to hear Karnataka plea for reducing water release
NEW DELHI (DHNS): The Supreme Court is likely to hear on Monday a plea by Karnataka to reduce the quantum of water to be released from river Cauvery to Tamil Nadu, from 15,000 cusecs to 10,000 cusecs per day.
Despite being a holiday for the apex court, the bench comprising Justices Deepak Mishra and U U Lalit will hear the plea as Karnataka sought urgent hearing, the state lawyers said.
Karnataka, which rushed to the Supreme Court on Saturday night, sought modification of the September 5 direction by the apex court for release of 15,000 cusecs of water for 10 days as an immediate measure to help farmers in Tamil Nadu.
Karnataka’s decision to move the Supreme Court came even as the Cauvery Supervisory Committee, headed by Union Water Resources Secretary Shashi Shekar, will meet here on Monday to decide on the quantum of the river water to be released to the neighbouring state.
Karnataka, in its application, pleaded for restricting the release of Cauvery river water to 10,000 cusecs per day for six days instead of 10, as the state itself was in distress and suffered a loss of Rs 500 crore per day in view of the massive agitation.
The apex court, however, decided to hear the plea on September 12.
Maintaining that the farmers under four reservoirs in Karnataka required about 40 tmc ft of water by end of October but the current storage was only 39 tmc ft, the state urged the apex court to list its application for modification of the September 5 order for consideration.
Expressing the tremendous pressure felt by the state to take legal measures, Karnataka stated the state police, with great difficulty, have been able to prevent attempts to damage public properties without using any arms.
The upper riparian state pointed out the people, particularly farmers in the districts of Mysuru, Hassan, Mandya and Bengaluru, have been squatting on the roads and streets, affecting Bengaluru I-T industry, which earned revenues as income tax, service tax etc and foreign exchange of 60 billion dollars to the country.
“Security agencies have reported to the government that the situation may go out of hand, if the flow of water is continued,” the state submitted.
