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Synopsis

The Supreme Court has decided to hear on August 25 a plea by Tamil Nadu for a direction to Karnataka to release its quota of allotment of Cauvery river water in order to save its standing crops.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai, P S Narasimha and Prashant Kumar Mishra would take up the matter Friday.

On Monday, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has said he would set up a separate bench to hear the cases. 

The new bench was necessitated as the previous one was headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar, who has since retired.

This is the first time Tamil Nadu approached the top court seeking a direction to Karnataka to release Cauvery water after the 2018 judgement where the top court allocated water among river basin states modifying 2007 Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal final award.

In its plea filed last week, Tamil Nadu sought a direction to Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily forthwith from its reservoirs at Biligundlu for the remaining period of the month, starting from August 14.  

In a meeting of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) held on August 10, Karnataka had expressed its inability to release water due to low storage in its reservoirs due to poor monsoon.

Tamil Nadu asked the court to direct Karnataka to ensure the stipulated releases for the month of August and September as per the Cauvery Tribunal award as modified by the Supreme Court on February 16, 2018.

Among other pleas, Tamil Nadu sought a direction to Karnataka to ensure the stipulated releases for the month of September, 2023 (36.76 TMC) as per the Award of the Tribunal as modified by the top court.

It also sought a direction to Karnataka to make good the shortfall during the current irrigation year for the period between June 01, 2023 to July 31, 2023 of 28.849 TMC.

It also stated the CWMA should be directed to ensure that the directions issued to Karnataka to release of water to Tamil Nadu are fully implemented and the stipulated monthly releases during the remaining period of the current water year are fully given effect.