Why Tamil Nadu wants Cauvery Management Board and Karnataka doesn't?
- Tamil Nadu's demand for formation of the Cauvery Water Management Board is growing stronger
- Tamil Nadu has alleged that Karnataka has not released the quantity of water it was asked to
- Thus the state hopes that the Cauvery Water Management Board will change the scenario and force Karnataka to release water
FollowTamil Nadu's demand for formation of the Cauvery Water Management Board is growing stronger. Since the day Supreme Court delivered its verdict on the Cauvery water sharing between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Tamil Nadu administrators, as well as farmers, are stressing on the formation of Cauvery Water Management Board.
Supreme Court in its verdict had asked Karnataka to release 177.25 TMC water to Tamil Nadu (every year) against 192 TMC water which was decided earlier. Thus Karnataka has got 14.75 TMC water more than the earlier agreement. Tamil Nadu has also been asked to consider 20 TMC groundwater in the state. Accordingly, Tami Nadu can now draw additional 10 tmcft 'groundwater' from a total of 20 tmcft beneath Cauvery basin.
Though this is not in favour of Tamil Nadu, the state has remained silent over the SC verdict. Its ray of hope is Supreme Court's direction for the Centre to form the Cauvery Water Management Board within six weeks of the verdict. The verdict was delivered on February 16, and by the end of March, the six-month deadline will be met.
Currently, no talks being held by the Centre in this regard is worrying Tamil Nadu. In addition, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi has said that Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal on the lines of Bhakra-Beas Management Board was only a “recommendation”, which the Centre could choose to either accept or reject. He said setting up of a board is a part of the legislative exercise, reported The Wire.
Tamil Nadu is holding on to the argument that Karnataka has failed in releasing the exact quantity of water to Tamil Nadu as directed by the Tribunal or the Court. Tamil Nadu has alleged that they have got way lesser than what was promised and even the court's verdict couldn't help much
But if the Cauvery Water Management Board is formed, it will consider only the facts and will make Karnataka release the water as the River Cauvery will not be in the hands of the state, instead will come under the Board.
This exact reason for letting go off the Cauvery River - one of the major water sources for Mysuru, Mandya and Bengaluru - is making Karnataka uncomfortable.
