Cauvery Tribunal asks TN to approach apex court

The Tribunal met for the first time after a gap of several years

The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal today expressed its inability to entertain Tamil Nadu’s plea seeking clarification on the final award passed by it 2007 regarding allocation of quantum of water to the states and asked it to approach the Supreme Court for appropriate directions.

An application was filed by Tamil Nadu for taking up the pending petition filed by the State under Section 5(3) of the Interstate River Water Disputes Act 1956.

In its order, the Tribunal chaired by Justice B S Chauhan said, “We are of the view that it is desirable that the State of Tamil Nadu may file a fresh application or press Interlocutory Appeals filed by it and get appropriate directions that this Tribunal may proceed with the application.”

“Parties are at liberty to mention immediately after getting any order or directions from the Supreme Court,” the Tribunal added.

The Tribunal met today after a gap of several years.

It had refused to hear the applications on grounds that it would be improper to take up applications when the Supreme Court had admitted special leave petitions filed in this regard.

The final award of the Cauvery Waters Dispute Tribunal was notified in February last year.

The Tribunal, in a unanimous award in February 2007, had determined the total availability of water in the Cauvery basin at 740 thousand million cubic (tmc) feet at the lower Coleroon Anicut site.

In, what was then described as a balancing act, the Tribunal gave Tamil Nadu 419 tmc of water (as against the demand of 562 tmc); Karnataka 270 tmc (as against its demand of 465 tmc); Kerala 30 tmc and Puducherry 7 tmc. For environmental protection, it had reserved 10 tmc.