Karnataka government on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court for expediting the hearing and adjudication of the appeals filed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala against the final decision of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal dated February 5, 2007 in the interest of the States concerned.

The State in its application said “the final order of the tribunal has placed an enormous burden on Karnataka to release 192 tmcft at Biligundlu, the inter-State border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.”

In a move that is likely to deepen the legal battle over the Cauvery dispute, the Tamil Nadu government will file an original suit claiming damages from Karnataka in view of the “intransigent attitude” of the government of the neighbouring State.

Announcing this on Monday, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, in a press release, stated that it was on her instruction that a petition would be filed, citing the Karnataka government’s refusal to release Tamil Nadu’s quota of water as per orders of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Cauvery Monitoring Committee recording this.

Karnataka today urged the Centre not to notify the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal final award till the Supreme Court disposes civil petitions challenging the order.

Chennai: Stepping up her attack on the UPA Government, Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa on Saturday announced a statewide protest by AIADMK in front of central government offices on January 2

Tamil Nadu on Thursday moved the Supreme Court seeking a directive to Karnataka to release forthwith 12 tmcft of water so that it could save at least a portion of the standing crops in the Cauvery Delta and meet its drinking water requirements.

At its 32nd meeting on January 10, the Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC) declined to grant any relief to Tamil Nadu.

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday announced a slew of drinking water projects.

According to a release, Rs 94.4 crore has been allotted to implement a project to provide water to people in 248 settlements in Kovilpatti, Kayathar, Ottapidaram, Vilathikulam and Pudur blocks in Tuticorin district. Another Rs 1.62 crore has been earmarked for annual maintenance of the project. Water from Thamirabarani river will be used for the project.

The Cauvery Monitoring Committee at its meeting on Thursday said it would “not be appropriate” to decide that Karnataka should release more waters from its dams to Tamil Nadu, considering that the upper riparian State will have only 16 tmcft available in its reservoirs for drinking purposes till May 2013.

“Water for drinking is a priority over water for irrigation. Both States must conserve water in their dams for drinking purposes,’’ the panel said in its order. Noting that as per the interim award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) that provides for pro rata sharing of distress, Tamil Nadu should receive 1.51 tmcft during January, the panel said that even if no water was released from the reservoirs of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu continued to receive water from the “intermediate catchments” between Karnataka dams and the Mettur reservoir in Tamil Nadu.

Drive carried out by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board

Nine illegal dyeing units that were functioning near River Cauvery at Pallipalayam in Tiruchengode Taluk were removed in a drive carried out by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) on Wednesday. TNPCB sources said that all the units were manual dyeing units.

Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday retracted his words by saying that the water level at the Kabini and KRS reservoirs does not warrant rationing of water supply in Bangalore.

He, however, said water consumption will be monitored during the coming summer months. He remained silent on water required for agriculture purposes in the Cauvery basin. Sources in the government said that the conservative estimate by the Central experts team which visited the Cauvery basin, had put the shortage at 35 tmc ft till the beginning of monsoon in June.

The State government will ration drinking water to address shortage this summer, Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday.

The Water Resources department has been taking adequate measures to ensure there is sufficient drinking water in the coming summer months, the minister told reporters. Given the depleting water levels in the State’s reservoirs, including in the Cauvery basin (KRS), Bommai said a special meeting of officials from the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, the Water Resources department and the engineering division would be convened on Tuesday to work out suitable measures.