Ensure Karnataka complies with SC order on Cauvery water: Jayalaithaa to Centre

Jayalaithaa came down heavily on Karantaka for not obeying the apex court's orders

Tamil Nadu government has asked the Centre to ensure that Karnataka complies with the apex court's order forthwith and releases water to Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, in her speech (which was read out by Tamil Nadu's chief secretary since she was hospitalised) at the meeting convened on the directions of the Supreme Court by the Ministry of Water Resources on Thursday in Delhi, said that Tamil Nadu has scrupulously adhered to every order of the Supreme Court. 

“By contrast, the state of Karnataka has treated the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court with utter contempt. Successive orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court have been deliberately and systematically defied,” Jayalalithaa said.

She said that Tamil Nadu had a shortfall of 60.983 thousand million cubic feet (TMC ft) of water for the period up to August 31, 2016, according to the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. It was in the context of this huge shortfall in the release of water and with the intention of saving at least a single Samba crop in the Cauvery Delta, that Tamil Nadu was forced to approach the Supreme Court for interim directions.

She alleged that despite the court's initial order to release 15,000 cusecs of water for 10 days, which was subsequently modified as 12,000 cusecs of water per day up to September 20, totalling to 17.366 TMC ft, the Karnataka government failed to release the requisite quantity of water. 

“This order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court was also not obeyed by Karnataka,” said the chief minister.  

“... In utter disregard and in complete contempt of the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, Karnataka failed to release the stipulated quantity of water to Tamil Nadu and in addition failed to make good the shortfall as per the earlier orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court. This deliberate defiance goes against the spirit of the Constitution itself and amounts to contempt of the apex court of the country. Karnataka has not followed the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court and has on the other hand permitted unruly elements to create law and order issues,” she said.

Tamil Nadu is a lower riparian state with long established irrigation systems based on unhindered flow of water in the Cauvery River. The agricultural patterns in Tamil Nadu have been adversely affected by systematic actions by Karnataka to deprive Tamil Nadu of its legitimate share of water. After Tamil Nadu’s pleas to Karnataka and to the Government of India fell on deaf ears, Tamil Nadu had no option but to approach the Supreme Court to secure its riparian rights. The court has consistently seen merit and justice in Tamil Nadu’s case, she said.

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She urged the Centre that the Cauvery Management Board must be constituted and said she  believed that only a professionally managed, neutral, technical body in the form of the Cauvery Management Board mandated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, can address the concerns of the riparian States. 

“I urge the Government of India to constitute the body immediately without waiting for the four weeks time stipulated by the Hon’ble Supreme Court,” she said.

Further, Karnataka should release the stipulated quantity of water according to the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, including the backlog of 76.042 TMC ft as on September 26. This is absolutely vital for the survival of at least a single Samba crop in the Cauvery Delta, which is the granary of Tamil Nadu as well as to meet the drinking water needs of large number of towns and villages, said Jayalaithaa.