The Supreme Court on Thursday will hear Tamil Nadu’s interim plea to restrain the Centre from reallocating the entire power surrendered by the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi — 230 MW round-the-clock and 1491 MW between midnight and 6 a.m. — to any other State.

On Wednesday, a three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justices S.S. Nijjar and J. Chelameswar, after brief submissions from senior counsel Ranjit Kumar and Additional Advocate General Subramonium Prasad appearing for Tamil Nadu, asked counsel to serve a copy of the application on Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati so that it could take up the matter for hearing on Thursday.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed concern over smog conditions in the Capital caused by high pollution and decided to examine the problem and suggest remedial measures.

A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justices S. S. Nijjar and J. Chelameswar agreed to look into the problem of smog during the course of hearing of petitions relating to disposal of toxic waste in Bhopal.

The Supreme Court on Monday directed that the Mullaperiyar dam case be listed for final arguments on February 19, 2013.

A five-judge Constitution Bench, comprising Justices D.K. Jain, R.M. Lodha, H.L. Dattu, C.K. Prasad and Anil R. Dave, fixed the date of final hearing after brief submissions from senior counsel Harish Salve for Kerala and senior counsel Vinod Bobde for Tamil Nadu. The Bench is hearing a suit filed by Tamil Nadu questioning the law enacted by Kerala in 2006 to restrict the water level in the Mullaperiyar dam at 136 ft. though the Supreme Court had permitted Tamil Nadu to raise the water level up to 142 ft. Since Justice Jain is due to retire in January next, a new Bench will hear the matter.

Taking into consideration Tamil Nadu’s requirement for the next 15 days as well as the shortfall in Karnataka’s water releases between October 16 and 31, the Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC) on Wednesday directed that State to release 6.20 tmcft from November 1 to 15, according to Tamil Nadu sources.

The CMC, chaired by Water Resources Ministry Secretary Dhruv Vijai Singh and consisting of the Chief Secretaries of all four riparian States, met to decide the quantum of water to be released by Karnataka from November 1. The CMC had on October 12 directed Karnataka to release 8.85 tmcft from October 16 to 31.

Asks Karnataka counsel to complywith CMC recommendations

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC), which is meeting here on Wednesday, to examine all questions raised by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and make appropriate recommendations. A Bench of Justices D.K. Jain and J.S. Khehar also recorded an undertaking from senior counsel Fali Nariman, appearing for Karnataka, that the State would comply with the recommendations which might be made by the CMC in letter and in spirit.

State alleges inaction on part of Centre to accept its request

Tamil Nadu on Monday moved the Supreme Court for a direction to the Centre to reallocate the 230 MW of round-the-clock power and 1491 MW (available between midnight and 6 a.m.) being surrendered by the National Capital Territory of Delhi, to the State. The suit filed by Tamil Nadu counsel B. Balaji also sought a direction to the Centre to provide necessary corridor for smooth transmission of power in accordance with Sections 37 and 38 of the Indian Electricity Act, 2003.

Highlighting the possible disastrous consequences of field trials of Genetically Modified (GM) crops, an expert committee has recommended to the Centre to implement a 10-year moratorium on such trials on Bt. Transgenics in all food crops.

In its interim report submitted to the Supreme Court, the Technical Expert Committee (TEC) said: “Based on current overall status of food safety evaluation of Bt. Transgenics, including the data on Bt. Cotton and Bt. Brinjal examined by the TEC, and in accordance with the precautionary principle, the TEC recommends a 10 year moratorium on field trials of Bt. Transgenics in all food crops. Another factor is the possibility of contamination of non-GM food by GM food.”

‘It was a policy decision taken at a time when no other country came forward to sustain India’s nuclear capabilities’

The Centre on Thursday justified in the Supreme Court waiver of the nuclear liability agreement with Russia for the Kudankulam plant in Tamil Nadu and said it was a policy decision taken at a time when no other country came forward to sustain India’s nuclear capabilities. Making this submission before a Bench of Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra, Solicitor General Rohinton Nariman denied the allegation of Prashant Bhushan, counsel for petitioners, that the Government had signed the agreement to appease Russia.

Makes clear that 17 safety measures are additional, not a condition precedent. Attorney General G. E. Vahanvati has asserted in the Supreme Court that the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is absolutely safe and all apprehensions over safety of the plant are completely baseless.

Making this submission before a Bench of Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra on Tuesday, Mr. Vahanvati also made it clear that it was not a condition precedent that all 17 safety measures to be implemented before the plant are put into operation.

Health and environment are as important as is plant safety, says judge

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to spell out how nuclear waste/spent fuel will be handled or transported after the Kudankulam plant in Tamil Nadu becomes operational. A Bench of Justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra on Wednesday wanted to know from the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), how it intended transporting the nuclear waste out of the plant and store it in a safe place without affecting environment.