The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to submit a draft Cauvery Management scheme by May 3 defeating the Government’s plan to stall it till the elections in Karnataka scheduled for May 12.
With the two States Karnataka and Tamil Nadu locked in a major water dispute sharing battle on Cauvery, the Supreme Court on February 16 this year judicially resolved the matter by giving Centre time till March 30 to prepare a draft scheme setting up Cauvery Management authority for allocation of water to the two States, besides Kerala and Puducherry.
With the deadline over and no scheme yet in place, Tamil Nadu approached the apex court with a contempt petition alleging non-compliance of Court order by Centre. The state even complained that Karnataka did not comply with the monthly releases fixed by the Court in its judgment. Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade who appeared for Tamil Nadu said that it is truly said about Indian legal system, that the trouble for litigant starts after a decree is passed by the Court. He was dismayed to see an application by Centre seeking three-month extension on account of Karnataka elections.
The bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud told all parties to the case that its judgment must be respected. Giving Centre time till May 3 to frame a draft scheme, the CJI told Attorney General KK Venugopal, “Now the Centre must show its bonafides. You must file a draft scheme by May 3. We will ask all counsels for their response before putting our stamp of approval that will make it final.” Meanwhile, the Court directed both states (TN and Karnataka) to urge their people to cooperate and maintain peace.
Venugopal informed the bench that it was in the process of inviting responses from the three states and one union territory prior to framing of scheme. The bench said, “That stage is over. Following our decree, the earlier Cauvery Water Tribunal Award has got merged. Now you (Centre) must frame a holistic scheme and submit to us. We want our decree to be implemented.”
The Court on February 16 raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and fixed the annual entitlement of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Union Territory of Puducherry at 404.25 tmcft, 284.75 tmcft, 30 tmcft and 7 tmcft of Cauvery water respectively.