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The Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka is making headlines again these days. Now Supreme Court Justice BR Gavai said that we cannot sit in the Supreme Court's number four court and monitor. We cannot decide which state gets how much water. We are not the monitoring authority. On behalf of Tamil Nadu, Mukul Rohatgi said that we need at least 7 thousand cusecs of water. The CWMA asked for 5,27 cusecs. While Karnataka is not giving that either. In this case, Karnataka filed an application in the Supreme Court, saying that it cannot give 5000 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu till September <>.

He also sought a direction to reconsider the September 18 decision of the Cauvery Water Management Authority. The Karnataka government has said that the water year 2023-24 has started poorly. Karnataka itself is facing acute water shortage. Karnataka does not have surplus water for Tamil Nadu. The southwest monsoon, which nourishes the catchment area of Karnataka, failed miserably. Water flow in reservoirs decreased by 53.42% %. Karnataka has ensured 3,19 cusecs more water on the last three directives of the CWMA.

Karnataka has asked whether Karnataka can be directed to ensure water without assessing the minimum requirement of crops, drinking water, including drinking water of Bengaluru city, in times of drought? Shouldn't Tamil Nadu be punished for indiscriminate use of water? As stated by the representative of the Centre in the 29rd meeting held on 08.2023.23. Earlier, the Cauvery Water Management Authority had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court. The CWMA has directed Karnataka to release 15 cusecs of water to the state of Tamil Nadu for 5000 days.

The CWMA told the Supreme Court that the state of Karnataka has complied with the directions and released 26 cusecs of water till August 149898. On September 25, the Supreme Court refused to issue the order for the time being and said that we are not experts in this matter. The court had sought a report from the Cauvery Water Management Authority and the Supreme Court asked the authority to file a report on the water. It was told by the Center that a meeting of the authority is going to be held. The Supreme Court heard the tamil nadu government's plea to issue an order to release 24000,<> cusecs of water.

During the hearing, Justice BR Gavai said. How can we pass an order? We don't have any expertise. You should contact the authorities. Justice P S Narasimha had said the issue was that despite the authority's order, it was not being complied with. Senior advocate Rohatgi, appearing for Tamil Nadu, had said that at present we have run out of water, - water should be released till the verdict of this court. The order 15 days ago has expired. Let what he has said continue, this time it has rained less. At the same time, the Karnataka government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that Tamil Nadu cannot force us to release water.

In fact, it is a water-scarce year, with 25 per cent less rainfall this year. The flow of water in reservoirs was 42.5% less. It opposed the tamil nadu government's plea, saying that Tamil Nadu's demand is completely wrong. Because it is based on a misconception that it is a normal rainfall year and not a troubled year, but this year the rainfall has decreased by 25%. As recorded by the Cauvery Water Management Authority, water in four reservoirs in Karnataka has decreased by 09.08% as on 2023.42.5. The southwest monsoon has largely failed during this year. Therefore, the failure of the southwest monsoon has led to a crisis situation in the Cauvery basin in Karnataka.

Therefore, Karnataka is not and cannot be bound to ensure water as per the criteria set for a normal year. The Tamil Nadu government's petition in the Supreme Court on the Cauvery water sharing dispute has asked the court to direct Karnataka to release 24000,36 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu in the remaining days of August. In September, 76.31 TMC of water was released as per the improvement made in the recommendations of the Cauvery Water Management Authority. The court should also direct the board to ensure the distribution of water of the Cauvery river on a monthly basis to compensate for the lack of irrigation between June <> and July <>.

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