The Centre on Friday notified the Cauvery Water Management Authority for implementation of the Cauvery Water Tribunal Award on sharing of waters among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
The Centre had on May 14 submitted a draft Cauvery Water Management Scheme to the Supreme Court. On May 18, the Supreme Court had observed that the draft scheme of the government was in consonance with the dictum and directions in the award, as modified by the court and also in conformity with Section 6A of the 1956 Act. It asked the Centre to take the scheme forward to its logical end in accordance with law with utmost dispatch and be notified before the monsoon season sets in on June 1.
The Water Resources Ministry will now write to the respective state governments and central departments to nominate representatives to the Authority as well as the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee. While the headquarters of the Authority will be in New Delhi, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee will be based in Bengaluru.
The Authority would the be sole body to implement the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award – aimed at distribution of Cauvery waters among the party states as modified by the apex court. The Centre would have no say in it except for issuing administrative advisories to it.
The Committee, which will assist the Authority in the discharge of its functions, is mandated to collect daily water levels, inflows and storage position at Hemavathy, Harangi, Krishnarajasagara, Kabini, Mettur, Bhavanisagar, Amaravathy and Banasurasagar reservoirs.
According to the notification issued on Friday, the Committee will meet once every 10 days during June and October when the south-west and the north-east monsoon sets in.
After the monsoon sets in, the Committee will meet at least once every fortnight. The Committee has the powers to convene meetings as often as necessary. In case of any exigency, a minimum 48 hours notice shall be given for holding the meeting.
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