DMK moves SC for immediate release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu

The DMK on Saturday moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Karnataka government to immediately release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu in accordance with the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) order and the apex court's 2018 verdict on river water sharing.

In its petition, the ruling Tamil Nadu party sought a direction to Karnataka to implement the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's (CWRC) recommendation of releasing 3,500 cusecs of water per day at Biligundlu for 15 days, as upheld by the CWMA on July 30.

The plea urged the court to direct Karnataka to "forthwith and fully implement" the CWRC's July 28 order by ensuring the prescribed flow from the date of the Supreme Court's order and to make good any shortfall in releases from July 29 onwards.

The DMK also sought directions to Karnataka to clear the accumulated backlog of about 9.46 TMC due at Biligundlu as of July 26 by ensuring releases of around 7,000 cusecs per day for 15 days on a pro-rata distress-sharing basis.

Additionally, the petition requested the Supreme Court to direct the CWMA to monitor daily releases from Karnataka's reservoirs and the flow realised at Biligundlu, and submit compliance reports to the court.

The move comes amid an escalating row between the two southern states over water sharing after Karnataka expressed its inability to release water, citing inadequate storage to meet even its drinking water requirements.

On Thursday, the CWMA upheld the CWRC's recommendation directing Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.

The Centre constituted the CWMA in 2018 following the Supreme Court's final judgment on the decades-old Cauvery water dispute involving Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.