The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of the Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu for a period of one week beginning Wednesday.
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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has termed the Supreme Court’s order as “unimplementable” and will convene a meeting of his cabinet and preside over an all-party meeting today to chalk out the next step.
The former Chief Minister also advised the party’s opposition leaders Jagdish Shettar (assembly) and K.E. Eshwarappa (council), Union Ministers Ananth Kumar and D.V. Sadananda Gowda and party’s lawmakers in Parliament to stay away from the meeting since the ruling Congress had “not considered” their many suggestions on the raging issue.
The decision was announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after a late night cabinet meeting.
Though the two states failed to agree on the quantum of water release, they agreed that from February 2017 onwards, it should meet every month to take stock of the situation till the Cauvery Management Board comes into being.
A special bench of Justices Dipak Misra and U.U. Lalit passed the directive while questioning the “adjudicating” authority of the supervisory committee that had yesterday asked Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs of water a day till September 30.
“As the committee’s order to release 3,000 cusecs daily for 10 days from September 21-30 is disappointing and a blow to our interests, we have chose to challenge it in the Supreme Court on Tuesday”, Parameshwara told reporters here.
The Karnataka Government later on 17 September filed a plea asking the Supreme Court to modify the order. The prohibitory orders have also been imposed in Mandya, where protesters were seen eating mud today, after Bengaluru.
Government, which has appealed for peace, has made elaborate security arrangements in the city and southern districts to ensure that no untoward incidents happen.
“Since we do not have water, it is very hard to implement the apex court order”. We are committed to protect the interest of the state, its people and its farmers. “We will support and cooperate with the government in the legislature session”, Yeddyurappa said.
Soon after the SC decision, protests erupted from different places, especially in Mandya district and the protesters blocked the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway.
Though Karnataka complied to the Supreme Court order, it stopped the flow on September 18 stating a total of 1,68,000 cusecs of water, as mentioned in the order, has already been given to its neighbouring state.
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The police have banned sale of liquor in bars, wine shops and pubs across the city from 6am on Tuesday morning to 1am on Wednesday. He later apologized and released water.
