Kerala to move SC on Cauvery Tribunal Award

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 19 (UNI) The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in Kerala today decided to move the Supreme Court and file a clarification petition before the Cauvery Water Tribunal as the State was not satisfied with the share of water allocated by the Tribunal.

Talking to mediapersons here after a high-level meeting which reviewed the Tribunal Award, Water Resources Minister N K Premachandran charged that the Tribunal Award had not protected the genuine interests of Kerala.

Kerala had been allocated 30 TMC feet water against the State's total contribution of 147 TMC feet to the Cauvery system. The shortfall would severely affect the Banasurasagar hydro-electrict project implemented at a cost of Rs 365 crore, Mr Premachandran said.

He said Kerala's assessment was that the Tribunal did not make clear how to share the excess waters in Cauvery basin among the riparian states. The Award also did not mention the Mukali project which the Supreme Court had referred to the Tribunal, he added.

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan presided over the meeting.

UNI