Cauvery interim order holds good till final adjudication: Minister

Chennai, Mar 7 (UNI) The interim award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) will hold good till the final adjudication of the dispute, according to Tamil Nadu PWD Minister Durai Murugan.

In a statement here tonight, Mr Durai Murugan, referring to Former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's demand for immediate gazette notification of the final verdict of the CWDT for Karnataka to start releasing water for Kuruvai cultivation, said the matter involved law and was a lengthy process.

He said the affected states and the Centre could approach the CWDT for clarifications and explanations on the final verict before the completion of three months. The tribunal may then take up to one year before its gives the necessary clarifications. It may even approach the Centre for more time to complete its work.

The CWDT will then send its final version of the verdict to the Centre which will then issue a gazette notification.

Citing an example, Mr Durai Murugan said the Krishan River Water Tribunal began its work on April 10, 1969 and the gazette notification was issued only on May 31, 1976.

Similar was the case with Ravi-Beas, Godavari and Narmada tribunals which took several years before a gazette notification was issued.

Mr Durai Murugan also quoted the CWDT interim order in 1991 which said 'the above order will remain operative till the final adjudication of the dispute is referred to the Tribunal.' This makes it clear the CWDT's order asking Karnataka to release 205 tmcft of water will hold good till the final adjudication of the dispute.

UNI