Cauvery Board: Centre to present its stand today

The Supreme Court has instructed the Central Government to state its stand on forming Cauvery Management Board by Thursday 2 pm.  The instruction was given in connection with the hearing of applications submitted by Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu questioning the award isused by the Cauvery Water Distribution Tribunal (CWDT).

Karnataka continued its argument on Wednesday and submitted a sum up of all points it had argued regarding its demand. In the morning senior advocate Shyam Diwan argued for the State and in the afternoon senior counsel for State Fali Nariman presented his arguments, reported Kannada Prabha.

After the State advocates completed their arguments, Tamil Nadu counsel senior lawyer Shekhar Naphade mentioned about forming a Cauvery Management Board. Justice Deepak Mishra, who is heading the bench, then asked the opinion of the Central Government regarding forming a Cauvery Management Board.  

He told the advocate for Central Government Vaseem Khadri if he has a definite instruction from the Central Government, if not to obtain it by 2 pm on Thursday and submit it before the Attorney General’s court.  Earlier the Central Government had submitted its stand and then changed it, hence the time was given to get a clear opinion.

Counsel for State Shyam Diwan argued on Wednesday morning that the Tribunal has not given permission to lift irrigate 2 lakh acre in the Kabini valley. The geographical condition of the region does not permit any other method of irrigation except lift irrigation. The Tribunal described the project as ambitious which is incorrect, he argued.

Tamil Nadu was sanctioned water twice, by mistake, to 70,000 acre land and the State advocates questioned the credibility of sanctioning twice to the same area.  Also only one third of the Bengaluru City has been considered for Cauvery water distribution and sanctioned 8.7 tmc water.  

The rest one third parts has been kept outside the purview of Cauvery which is a gross injustice. Hence the entire Bengaluru City must be brought under Cauvery scope and sanction 30 tmc water, argued Divan. From Thursday, Tamil Nadu lawyers will present their argument.

• Cauvery water injustice to Karnataka