NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court pronounced its verdict on the decades-old dispute, mainly between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, over sharing of Cauvery water today. The river originates in Karnataka’s Kodagu district and meets the Bay of Bengal at Poompuhar in Tamil Nadu.
A Special Bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, ordered the Karnataka government to release 177.25 tmcft of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu from its inter-state Biligundlu dam.
The judgement clarified that Karnataka will now have an enhanced share of 14.75 tmcft water per year while Tamil Nadu will get 404.25 tmcft, which will be 14.75 tmcft less than what was allotted by the tribunal in 2007. The court made it clear that the increase in share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 TMC has been done keeping in view the fact that there is an increased demand of drinking water by Bengaluru and also for many industrial activities
Earlier, on February 5, 2007, the tribunal gave its final award allocating 419 tmcft to Tamil Nadu; 270 tmcft to Karnataka; Kerala 30 tmcft and Puducherry 7 tmcft.
SC also said that the allocation for Kerala and Puducherry remained unchanged.