Karnataka to move apex court over CSC directive

Karnataka plans to approach the Supreme Court over the Cauvery Supervisory Committee (CSC) directive to release 3,000 cusecs of water for 10 days to Tamil Nadu.

The CSC, under the chairmanship of the Union Water Resources Secretary, which met on Monday, directed Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs for 10 days from September 21-30.

Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara, on hearing the directive, told reporters that the State would challenge the CSC directive before the Supreme Court.

State water resources minister MB Patil also maintained that the State would study the impact and present its views before the Supreme Court, which is to resume hearing on the Cauvery water release from September 20 (Tuesday).

Meanwhile, Karnataka has made elaborate security arrangement in Bengaluru and other towns/cities in the Cauvery basin districts in the wake of re-occurrence of violence, as witnessed on September 12 over the Supreme Court’s order to release 12,000 cusecs of water for 10 days.

As soon as the CSC directed Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu, farmers in Mandya hit the streets to register their anguish and blocked the busy Bengaluru-Mysuru highway.

Now, the State has expressed concerned and anguish that whatever water is stored or left in the four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin, will have to be used only for drinking needs.

The four reservoirs cater drinking water to Bengaluru and over 600 villages in the districts of Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagara, Hassan, Ramanagara, Bengaluru rural and Bengaluru city, till the onset of monsoon next year (June 2017).

The State water resources minister has been maintaining that the Cauvery basin in Karnataka is already in a distress state, with failed monsoon this year in Kodagu, parts of Hassan, and Wayanad in Kerala where tributaries of Cauvery bring inflows.

The minister has also said any further release of water will result in severe shortage, especially in the old Mysuru area.