Karnataka to comply with CWRC; release water to Tamil Nadu till Sept. 26
The Hindu
A day after the Supreme Court refused to intervene either in favour of Karnataka or Tamil Nadu in the Cauvery dispute, the State Cabinet decided to comply with the order of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) on releasing water to the neighbouring State till September 26.
A day after the Supreme Court refused to intervene either in favour of Karnataka or Tamil Nadu in the Cauvery dispute, the State Cabinet decided to comply with the order of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) on releasing water to the neighbouring State till September 26.
Briefing presspersons after a Cabinet meeting on Friday, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also holds the Water Resources portfolio, said that daily 3,000 to 3,500 cusecs of water was flowing from the Krishnaraja Sagar and Kabini reservoir to Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Shviakumar said the State would release water to Tamil Nadu till September 26. Karnataka would provide the water level situation in the State reservoirs at the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) meeting on September 26. The CWMA endorsed the recommendation of the CWRC and ordered the release of 5,000 cusecs for 15 days. The CWMA meeting was held against the backdrop of Karnataka’s refusal to comply with the CWRC’s latest directive on September 12.
Karnataka has cited severe drought in parts of the State to not release water to Tamil Nadu. Already, the State has declared 195 taluks as drought-hit.
Mr. Shivakumar said the State Advocate-General had briefed the Cabinet in detail about legal issues involved in the dispute. The government would comply with the order of the CWRC. At the same time, the government was committed to protecting the interest of farmers, he said.
The apex court on Thursday said it banked on the combined expertise of the CWRC and the CWMA to manage the water-sharing between the two States.
The Cabinet also decided to obtain all clearances, including the Union government’s environmental clearance, to take up the Mekedatu reservoir project on the Cauvery at Kanakapura.
“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.
The High Court of Karnataka on Monday declined to interfere, at present, in the investigation against a Bharatiya Janata Party worker, who is among the accused persons facing charges of circulating obscene clips, related to “morphed” images and videos clips related to Prajwal Revanna, former Hassan MP, in public domain through pen drives and other modes.
The 16th edition of Bhoomi Habba was held on June 8, at the Visthar campus. The festival drew a vibrant crowd who came together to celebrate eco-consciousness through a variety of engaging activities, creative workshops, panel discussions, interactive exhibits and performances, all centered around this year’s theme: “Save Water, Save Lives.”