Karnataka not honouring directions of the Cauvery River Authority With Karanataka refusing to release water as per the directions of the Cauvery River Authority headed by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court for a direction to Karnataka to release 2 tmcft of water daily for 24 days till the onset of the north-east monsoon. The State pointed out the failure of Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs as per the Prime Minister’s direction and said it was constrained to file the present application. A direction to release 48 tmcft at the rate of two tmcft a day on the basis of the pro rata formula forthwith was absolutely imminent failing which Tamil Nadu would not be able to sustain the samba crop after having already lost the kuruvai crop. It said pursuant to the September 10 order of the court, Karnataka initially ensured less than 10000 cusecs at Billigundulu from September 12 but thereafter made good the shortfall by ensuring 10000 cusecs till September 20. It said “during the current year as on September 15, as against 122.32 tmcft of water to be ensured at Mettur Dam, as per the interim order of the Tribunal, Tamil Nadu received only 19.40 tmcft, resulting in the loss of entire Kuruvai cultivation. Even assuming that there is distress in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu ought to have received an additional 48.50 tmcft up to September 15 as per the Distress Sharing Formula devised by the CWC.” The State said a meeting of the Cauvery River Authority was held on September 19, when Chief Minister Jayalalithaa submitted before the CRA that as of June 1, 2012, Karnataka had utilised about 36.30 tmcft of water for summer irrigation, besides utilising all the inflows during those months, contrary to the orders of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. The storage in the four Reservoirs was brought down to the minimum on June 1 i.e. 22 tmcft. Thereafter, it impounded all the waters received in the south-west monsoon period until its reservoirs surplussed, thereby creating an artificial drought in Tamil Nadu.” It said “In spite of the specific direction of this court, the CRA did not deliberate on the Distress Sharing Formula, though the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu made specific reference to it in her opening remarks and requested the CRA to approve the formula as finalised by the Cauvery Monitoring Committee. The Prime Minister as the Chairperson of the CRA did not decide on the formula.” It said “there might have been an initial shortfall in precipitation in Karnataka in June and consequently in the inflows into its reservoirs, but currently, three of its four reservoirs – Kabini, Hemavathy and Harangi – are nearly full and the fourth one Krishnaraja Sagar is fast filling up.” Tamil Nadu drew the court’s attention that Karnataka had taken a stand that it was not in a position to effect any further releases beyond September 20, in spite of sufficient storages in its reservoirs, though two tmcft per day was sought for by it. On Karnataka seeking a review of the CRA’s direction to release 9,000 cusecs, Tamil Nadu said no such review was maintainable under the rules. Describing Karnataka’s stand as unjustified, Tamil Nadu urged the court to direct Karnataka to release 2 tmcft of water daily for 24 days till the onset of north-east monsoon to save the samba crop.