Cauvery Supervisory Committee to meet in New Delhi today

The Cauvery Supervisory Committee, headed by Union Water Resources Secretary Shashi Shekhar, will meet in New Delhi today to decide on the quantum of Cauvery water to be released to Tamil Nadu and other states. Sources said the Committee will strictly adhere to the final order of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, CWDT, while deciding on the quantum of the water to be released to Tamil Nadu and other states as directed by the Supreme Court.

Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry besides officials of Central Water Commission will attend the meeting. In an interim order on 5th September, the apex court had asked Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily for next 10 days to Tamil Nadu. This had led to protests in parts of Karnataka. Expressing



concern over the decision, the Karnataka government had on 7th September written to Union Water Resources Ministry, saying drinking water needs are likely to be"jeopardised" if water is released as directed by Supreme Court from the four reservoirs in the state.

In the letter, Karnataka also rued that Supreme Court's order would have been "different" if a report of experts on "ground realities" in the state was made available to it before it gave the interim order. The court had also directed Tamil Nadu to approach the Supervisory Committee, set up to implement award of CWDT, within three days for the release of Cauvery water as per the final order of Tribunal. The apex court will hear the matter again on Friday.