Tamil Nadu to move SC against Cauvery Tribunal order

The Tamil Nadu government will move the Supreme Court against the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's (CWDT) recent order to appoint an expert committee to determine the water requirement of the crops for the areas as given by the two states.

"The government of Tamil Nadu has decided to move the Supreme Court immediately to ensure that the tentative orders of two members of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal to constitute an expert committee are withdrawn and to proceed further to finalise its award without any further delay," a state government release said.

The release said that the move to constitute an experts committee would only further delay the matters. The government of Tamil Nadu would demand before CWDT by a written statement during the hearing on May 5 that these tentative orders of the two members are withdrawn, it added.

The Tamil Nadu government pointed out that the CWDT had already taken 16 years to examine the facts, documents and arguments produced by it. Besides, the government had also filed affidavits of expert witnesses on all aspects including water requirements of crops. There is no need for any such expert committee, since enough material is already with the CWDT and the arguments have been completed in all respects, it pointed out.

The order of the two members of CWDT contemplates constituting an expert committee consisting of five members, including two experts in the field of agronomy and one expert in the field of metrology environment who will be appointed by the central government. The committee would also include the two existing assessors who are irrigation engineers.

According to the order, the committee will determine the water requirement of the crops for the areas as given by the party states. The committee will submit a report within three months from the date of its constitution and the party states will be given an opportunity to see the report and submit their comments.

However, chairman of the CWDT disagreed with the two members and passed a separate order stating that there is no need to constitute an expert committee since the Counsel on behalf of the two states have been heard on water requirements.

He also stated that it would not be practicable for the expert committee to submit its report within three months.