Bengaluru: Karnataka is hoping for a reprieve on release of more water to Tamil Nadu as the Central team set up on the directive of the Supreme Court to assess the ground realities in the Cauvery basin areas of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka will submit its report to the apex court on Monday, October 17. The SC will hear the case on Tuesday.
As directed by the SC, Karnataka has been releasing 2,000 cusecs of water on a daily basis from October 7 to 18 to Tamil Nadu. State Water Resources minister MB Patil is scheduled to travel to Delhi on Monday along with senior officials of his ministry to hold discussions with state legal team headed by Fali S Nariman.
“There is just about 22 tmcft of water left in the four reservoirs of Cauvery basin in the state, which can hardly meet the drinking water needs of Bengaluru and other towns in the Cauvery basin. We feel our officials have succeeded in convincing the technical team about the distress in the state, crop loss suffered by our farmers and drinking water crisis that is looming large,” said sources in the Water Resources Department.
The SC is also scheduled to hear on Tuesday the Special Leave Petition filed by Karnataka challenging the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
