Bengaluru/New Delhi: Karnataka received no respite in the Cauvery water sharing dispute on Monday, with Supreme Court directing the state to ensure compliance with the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) order to release water to Tamil Nadu.The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, hearing Tamil Nadu’s plea seeking immediate release of its share, asked Karnataka why it was not releasing water and directed the state to comply with the CWMA order. The matter was posted for Aug 24, when the court will consider the further status of the releasesThere have been precedents of the state govt delaying compliance with the order. These show that defiance can quickly bring the state govt and its responsible officials under judicial scrutiny and contempt proceedings.Senior advocate C S Vaidyanathan, appearing for Tamil Nadu, told the bench the CWMA’s direction was not being complied with and that the state was unable to release water to farmers. “They (Karnataka) have started releasing water for irrigation in Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu has not been receiving water,” he said. “As of now, they have 76% live storage in the reservoir and they have hardly released,” he added.The bench then asked the Karnataka govt, “Why are you not releasing?”Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Karnataka, said the picture being projected before the court was “extremely incorrect in every material respect”. “This is an extremely severe distress year and when you have an extremely severe distress year as in the present case, there is a mechanism and a machinery for the purposes of balancing,” he said. “As far as the Cauvery basin is concerned, there is enormous deficit and the CWMA is alive to the situation and has issued directions,” Divan said.The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) had initially directed Karnataka to ensure a flow of 3,500 cusecs at Biligundlu for 15 days from July 29. Following rain in the Cauvery catchment, Karnataka allocated about 4tmcft of water to meet the requirement. The CWMA later directed Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs daily for 15 days from Aug 12. Karnataka had opposed the quantum, saying it was difficult to maintain the release amid deficient rainfall in the catchment areas. Divan told the court that the inflow was low as of now but Karnataka would make up the shortfall in the coming days.The court’s direction triggered fresh protests in Mandya, where farmers and BJP workers demonstrated against the water release. Kabini reservoir continued releasing 13,600 cusecs to Tamil Nadu for the second consecutive day, even as its inflow was only 7,747 cusecs.Farmer groups staged demonstrations, while BJP workers protested with empty pots. Tension rose when protesters attempted to burn a tyre, leading to a scuffle in which a PSI was injured. Protesters later blocked Old Bengaluru-Mysuru highway before police cleared the road. KRS was releasing water only to meet drinking water requirements, officials said.If Karnataka defies the Supreme Court’s direction, Tamil Nadu can seek contempt proceedings and enforcement. The court may seek explanations from the chief secretary and officials responsible and issue fresh compliance directions. Karnataka can seek modification or relief, citing distress and reservoir levels.+++++WHEN K’TAKA SAT OVER RELEASE ORDER1991: CM S Bangarappa challenged tribunal’s interim award through an ordinance, which the Supreme Court struck down2002: SM Krishna govt defied water-release directive, prompting TN to approach SC, which criticised Karnataka’s defiance and directed compliance2016: Karnataka legislature passed a resolution refusing to release Cauvery water despite SC orders; the court subsequently issued repeated directions, including a “last-chance” order
