TN moves SC for independent chief of Cauvery authority

The Tamil Nadu government has filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Union government to appoint an independent person as chairman of the Cauvery Water Management Authority and full-time members as per a scheme approved by the court.

This would be in accordance with Clause 3(2)(a) of the Cauvery Water Management Scheme, 2018, established under Section 6A of Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, constituted to give effect to the decision of the tribunal and the apex court’s judgement of February 16 and the orders passed on May 18, it said.

This is the third application filed by the Tamil Nadu government after a permission was granted to Karnataka for preparing a detailed project report for Mekedatu balancing reservoir.

The Cauvery Water Management Scheme has been notified by the Centre on June 1.

The Ministry of Water Resources, however, had on July 7 issued orders allowing S Masood Husain, chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC), to hold additional charge as head of the authority.

The Tamil Nadu government is now aggrieved with the order issued on November 22 with regard to Mekedatu balancing reservoir project by Karnataka.

“The decision of the Director, Project Appraisal (South), CWC, conveying to the
instrumentalities of state of Karnataka to proceed with the preparation of detailed project report for the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir cum drinking water project without properly considering the genuine and justifiable objections of the applicant state is wholly unjust,” it said. The application also stated the decision was in total violation and utter disregard of the adjudication rendered by the tribunal as modified by this court.

The top court has agreed to hear this week a plea by Tamil Nadu for a direction to restrain Karnataka from going ahead with the “unauthorised” Mekedatu project across inter-state Cauvery river.

The Tamil Nadu government had also filed a fresh plea before the apex court seeking contempt action against senior officers of the Centre and the Karnataka government for going ahead with the Mekedatu project.