Tribunal apportions Cauvery water among riparian states

New Delhi, Feb 5 (UNI) The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) today ordered setting up of a Regulatory Authority to oversee the apportionment of 740 tmcft of available water in the Cauvery basin states, asking Karnataka to ensure the release of 192 tmcft of water at Biligundlu, the last point of the river in the state, to Tamil Nadu.

The nine-page operative portion of the over 1000-page order read out by CWDT Chairman N P Singh has also fixed a tentative monthly schedule during a normal year, breaking the releases into ten daily intervals by the Regulatory Authority which has been asked to monitor the working of monthly schedule with the help of states concerned and Central Water Commission for a period of five years.

The Tribunal which had limited command area to 11.2 lakh acres for Karnataka lifted the limit by allowing the state to use 270 tmcft of waters in a year. Tamil Nadu, however, will get a major share for itself with 419 tmcft of water. Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry will get 30 and 7 tmcft each. The CWDT allowed 10 TMC of water to preserve environmental protection and determined a quantity of 4 tmc of water for inevitable escapages into the sea in the total water available in Cauvery and its tributaries.

The states are at liberty to divert the water usage to any sector within their share. The Order also provides for proportionately reducing the allocated shares among the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

The inter-state contact points identified for monitoring water deliveries are -- Kabini reservoir site for Kerala and Karnataka, Chavadiyoor G D site between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Amaravathi for Pambar sub-basin, Biligundlu G D site or any other site on common border.

There can be any modification/adjustment in the schedule and it could be worked out in consultation with the party states and with the help of CWC for future adoption without changing the annual allocation amongst the parties.

Holding that the agreements of 1892 and 1924 between the then governments of Mysore State and Madras Presidency could not be held as 'invalid' as they had been executed after 'full consultations', the CWDT said its final order superseded both the agreements as the 1924 clause provided for a review of some of the clauses after 1974.

The use of underground waters by any riparian state and Union Territory of Puducherry shall not be reckoned as use of water of the river Cauvery. The declaration shall not alter the rights if any, under the law of time being in force by any private individuals, bodies or authorities.

MORE UNI