K'taka yet to release 81 tmcft of Cauvery water to TN, says CM Palaniswami

Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday said Karnataka has, so far, released 111 tmcft of Cauvery water of stipulated 192 tmcft annually (April-May) and steps were being taken to get the remaining quantum.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami, referring to the 2007 tribunal award on the Cauvery water sharing dispute, said Karnataka has to annually release 192 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water to Tamil Nadu. "Till date, (Karnataka) has given only 111 tmcft. The rest 81 tmcft has to be provided before May 2018," he said in the Assembly, while responding to DMK member Durai Chandrasekar, who raised the issue of irrigating crops in some parts of Cauvery delta districts of the state.

To ensure that Tamil Nadu realised the rest of its share of water from Cauvery, the state was insisting Karnataka on the same, directly, as well as through the Centre, Palaniswami said. "Steps are being taken to ensure relief from the Supreme Court also," the chief minister added.

He also pointed out that the apex court on Tuesday indicated that it would deliver within a month its verdict on the decades-old dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. "Enough of confusion has been there for the past two decades. Any forum can touch the matter after the verdict is delivered on the issue. We will give the verdict in four weeks," a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud had said on Tuesday.