Cauvery Row: Release Water to Tamil Nadu, SC tells Karnataka

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has refused to modify its order directing Karnataka to share 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, and instructed the Attorney General of India to facilitate talks between chief ministers of both the states.

An apex court bench comprising Justice Dipak Misra and Justice UU Lalit instructed Karnataka to comply with its order, release the water on Wednesday and Thursday, and come back to the SC on Friday.

Earlier, the Karnataka state legislature had unanimously passed a resolution expressing the state’s "inability" to share water for agricultural or irrigation purposes arguing that whatever left in the state dams was enough only for drinking water supply.

On Tuesday, arguing in favour of the state’s review petition, Karnataka’s lead lawyer Fali S Nariman informed the SC that the state is not in a position to release water to Tamil Nadu. The SC, which started the hearing of Karnataka's application seeking modification to its last week’s order expressed unhappiness over not complying with its order.

Nariman told the SC that Karnataka had saved all available water for drinking water purposes and it would not be able to release even a drop of water. However, he added that Karnataka can think about releasing the water only in November.

The Tamil Nadu legal team objected to Karnataka’s arguments and asked the SC not entertain its appeal. Meanwhile Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK welcomed the order and described it as a "right judgment."

Reacting to SC decision Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said it is not possible to release water the moment a court order comes.

"I am yet to get a copy of the Supreme Court order. We will study it and make a statement," Siddaramaiah said.

According to legal experts, Karnataka will have to tread cautiously after Tuesday’s order. The state can send its resolution to the President of India seeking a Presidential reference. If the President agrees to it, the SC will have to refer the matter to a Constitution Bench.

Karnataka earlier released 15,000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu for 10 days after the SC order in the first week of September. When the SC ordered it to release 6,000 cusecs of water to TN for 7 more days, it expressed helplessness saying that it is not in a position to release even a drop of water.

Anticipating trouble, the police have made elaborate security arrangements across Cauvery basin districts, including state capital Bengaluru.