SC asks Karnataka to release some water to Tamil Nadu pending scheme

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Karnataka government to release some more water by Monday to neighbouring Tamil Nadu while the central government framed a scheme to implement the Cauvery tribunal order on water sharing between the riparian states.

A bench led by chief Justice of India Dipak Misra brushed aside Karnataka's objections that it had already released excess water to its neighbour and warned the state of contempt action should it fail to release at least 4 tmc feet of water to Tamil Nadu for the months of April and May by monday.

The order came after the Tamil Nadu government through senior advocate Shekhar Naphade accused the centre of delaying framing of a scheme because of impending assembly elections in Karnataka.


"This is the end of cooperative federalism. We are getting step motherly treatment. The central government is politicising the issue," he charged. "Every effort is being made to push the process till after elections. The judgement was passed in February. We are now in may."

His reaction came after the centre sought more time beyond may 12, 2018, to have the draft scheme placed before the Cabinet. "The prime minister and all ministers are away in Karnataka," attorney general for India K K Venugopal said urging the court to give the centre more time.

Venugopal claimed that the scheme ran into a hitch when the Karnataka chief minister wrote to the centre saying that the board should constitute water resources ministers of the four riparian states and not technical experts.

The bench eventually asked the AG to get back on Monday with progress on framing the scheme and deferred the hearing till then.