NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has approved the draft Cauvery management scheme framed by the Centre to ensure smooth distribution of Cauvery river water between four southern riparian states. Bench comprising of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar, and Justice DY Chandrachud issued the order and directed that the scheme be implemented before the monsoons. The amended draft scheme says, “In terms of water distributed to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the regulation committee of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) will collect daily release of water on a monthly basis from the reservoirs as directed by the authority.”
Karnataka however, raised objections to the draft scheme as it said it was not in “consonance” with the SC judgement. The SC had asked the central government to modify its draft scheme for setting up the CMB that will be the sole authority for implementing the Cauvery Water Tribunal Award. It also sought dropping of the clause which said that in case of a dispute, the matter would be decided by the Centre and it would be final and binding. The Centre was also asked to drop the clause that said that the Centre would give directions from time to time to the implementing authority- a clause objected to by Tamil Nadu. Karnataka had just last week, made an unsuccessful bid to temporarily stall the finalisation of draft Cauvery management scheme. It then gave some suggestions, while maintaining that the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) had provided for minimum water to be allowed to remain in the reservoir on behalf of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to maintain a steady flow, but the draft scheme does not deal with this aspect.
Tamil Nadu government opposed the suggestion of Karnataka saying, “This was a clear attempt to seek review of the February 16 judgement.” The SC bench made it clear that it would “see that the draft scheme has to be in consonance with its judgement only.”
