Release Water to Tamilnadu: SC

The Supreme Court ordered the Karanataka government to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery river water every day to Tamil Nadu for six days, starting October 1.

The bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit expressed its displeasure over the continued defiance of its last three orders by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s government in Karnataka.

The bench said, “The State of Karnataka should not be bent upon maintaining an obstinate stand of defiance.”

Expressing serious concern at the continuing stalemate between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery water sharing issue, the Supreme Court today asked the Centre to constitute a Cauvery Water Management Board within three days.

The panel’s mandate is to check the ground reality after a visit to the site and report back to the apex court on October six when the bench will hear the matter next.

Timeline:

First, Karnataka was asked on September 5th by the SC to release 15,000 cusecs of water per day till September 16th. This order was revised on September 12th to 12,000 cusecs of water per day till September 20th. The interim orders have come under serious criticism from all corners. Taking note of that, the court asked the Centre to set up the Cauvery Management Board within four weeks from September 20th.