SC directs K'taka Govt. to release 15,000 cusec Cauvery water to TN

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Karnataka Government to release 15,000 cusec of water to Tamil Nadu for 10 days as an interim measure.

Tamil Nadu will approach the supervisory committee in three days.

Karnataka can raise its objection in the next three days, after which the committee will decide the amount of water to be released in four days.

Earlier, Karnataka offered around 10,000 cusecs per day which the apex court raised to 15,000 cusec per day.

The apex court had earlier advised Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to 'live and let live' as they locked horns and traded charges in the courtroom over the release of Cauvery water.

In a recent plea, Tamil Nadu had sought a direction to Karnataka to release 50.52 tmc feet of Cauvery water to save 40,000 acres of samba crops this season.

In reply, Karnataka has said it has a deficit of about 80 tmc feet in its four reservoirs.

Stressing that the states have to live in harmony, the court had earlier said that if there is a formula in the Tribunal award, Karnataka is bound by it.

Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah informed that the Tamil Nadu Government in their application filed before the Supreme Court had made a prayer that the court should direct his government to release 50.052 tmcft of water as per the normal year.

He said Karnataka is facing a severe distressed year and added that both states should share the Cauvery water as per the distress pro-rata basis.