SC asks K’taka to release 2000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily from Oct 7 to 18

The Supreme Court asked Karnataka on Tuesday to release 2,000 cusecs of water every day to Tamil Nadu from October 7 to 18.

The Supreme Court asked Karnataka on Tuesday to release 2,000 cusecs of water every day to Tamil Nadu from October 7 to 18.

A delegation of AIADMK MPs led by M Thambidurai addresses the media after submitting a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the Cauvery issue at South Block in New Delhi on Tuesday.(PTI)

The court also asked Karnataka how much Cauvery river water it can share with the downstream state in this period.

Tamil Nadu has pressed for Cauvery water to save its paddy crop, but Karnataka refused, citing monsoon failure and depleted reservoirs.

When the apex court ordered Karnataka to release water last month, it triggered riots in Bengaluru, with Kannadigas attacking Tamils and their property.

The court had on September 30 asked Karnataka to discharge 6,000 cusecs from October 1 to 6 . The directive came with a warning that no one would know when the “wrath of the law” would fall on it.

Again on Monday, it asked Karnataka to stop defying its order to release water to Tamil Nadu, asking the state to let it know by 2pm on Tuesday if it has followed the directive.

As the century old dispute over sharing the river’s water simmered, the Centre did a volte face and opposed an SC order to set up a Cauvery Water Management Board, which would be an all-encompassing authority to instruct or suggest measures and settle disputes.

The court will take up the Centre’s plea against its order to set up the board on October 18.