New Delhi: Karnataka told the Supreme Court yesterday that it cannot spare any more water for Tamil Nadu as it would affect the needs of its own people.
“We don’t say that their (Tamil Nadu) irrigation has not suffered. It is suffering. Ours is also suffering. But that is a different issue. Here we are talking of drinking water,” senior counsel Fali Nariman, appearing for Karnataka, told judges R M Lodha and J Chelameswar.
As Karnataka appeared unrelenting on releasing more water as sought by Tamil Nadu, senior counsel C S Vaidyanathan, appearing for Tamil Nadu, told the court that “their (Karnataka’s intention is not to give anything. My people will go without water”.
Alleging that lower riparian states are suffering because of upper riparian states, he said: “You (Karnataka) utilise (water) lavishly and extravagantly and exhaust it.” The court was hearing cross petitions by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka rooted in the September 19, 2012, interim order of the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) directing Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu every day till October 15, 2012.
The apex court had on September 28 pulled up Karnataka for not complying with the direction of CRA, which is headed by the prime minister. With both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu not budging from their positions, Justice Lodha suggested that the matter be referred to CRA to look into the Cauvery Monitoring Committee’s decision on release of water.
“An order was passed by CMC. You are aggrieved with it. You can go before CRA, and if you are still not satisfied, then you can come to us. That is the logical course to follow,” Justice Lodha told Vaidyanathan. As Vaidyanathan resisted the suggestion, Justice Lodha adjourned the hearing: “Let it then come on February 4” when the case is listed for hearing.
IANS
