Cauvery dispute: SC accepts Centre's amended draft scheme

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Supreme Court on Friday accepted the amended draft scheme of the Centre on the water distribution scheme of the Cauvery River between Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

The amended draft scheme says in terms of water distributed to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the regulation committee of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) has to collect "daily release of water on a monthly basis from the reservoirs as directed by the authority."

Further, the CMB, according to the draft, has to provide data for important rain gauge stations maintained by Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and Central Water Commission.

On Thursday, the apex court reserved its verdict on the finalisation of the Centre's 'scheme' on setting up of the CMB/Authority for allocation and distribution of water among the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Union Territory of Puducherry.

On May 8, the top court rapped the Centre over the delay in constituting the Cauvery Management Board (CMB), stating that further delay in the decision can be contempt of court.

The February 16 bench directed Karnataka to release 177.25 TMC of water, instead of the 192 TMC to Tamil Nadu. It also directed the Centre to constitute a Cauvery Management Board (CMB) in six weeks.

However, the Centre failed to form the CMB within given time frame. Following this, on April 9, the top court asked the Centre to frame a draft scheme by May 3.

The central government earlier sought an extension of two weeks from the SC to draft the water sharing scheme.