TN moves SC, seeks 48 tmc water

Wants 2 tmc a day for 24 days for saving samba crop cultivated on 14.53 lakh acres

Tamil Nadu on Wednesday sought a direction from the Supreme Court to Karnataka to replenish the shortfall of 48 tmc as per the distress-sharing formula by releasing 2 tmc per day for 24 days to save its samba crop cultivated on 14.53 lakh acres.

In a written rejoinder to the Karnataka response, the state reiterated its demand while describing as “inadequate” the suggestion made by the Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC) for releasing 8.85 tmc ft of water between October 16 and 31.
“It will not meet the requirement of Tamil Nadu,” the written submission filed by advocate B Balaji.

“The contention of Karnataka that it has more than complied with the releases cumulatively aggregating 2,07,000 cusecs as against 1,89,000 cusecs is not correct.  It is stated that the flows recorded at Biligundlu furnished by Karnataka varies from that furnished by the CMC in the 28th meeting held on October 11,” the response said.
There was an imperative need for directing Karnataka to make good the shortfall of 48 tmc ft of water based on the pro-rata formula adopted by the CMC at the rate of 2 tmc ft of water every day, it added.

“Karnataka has not disputed the statement of Tamil Nadu that the area irrigated from the four reservoirs is 6.53 lakh acres (as against 65 per cent claimed by Karnataka out of 8.71 lakh acres). The inflows into the four reservoirs in Karnataka during the current irrigation year from June to October 15, 2012 was 161 tmc and had a carryover of storage of 22 tmc. The applicant state has received only 54 tmc at Biligundlu and 40 tmc at Mettur,” it said.

Tamil Nadu’s reply, drawn by advocates G Umapathy and C Paramasivam, asserted that the water requirement in Karnataka cannot be 86.4 tmc as assessed by the CMC.
“The present utilisable storage as on October 16 is only about 18 tmc and the anticipated flows of 37 tmc during October, 2012 to January, 2013 would be grossly inadequate to sustain the samba crop. The current utilisable storage as on October 16 in the four reservoirs in Karnataka is 56 tmc,” it said.