Karnataka urges PM not to notify final award of Cauvery Tribunal

New Delhi: With just two days left for the deadline set by the Supreme Court, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar on Monday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to notify the proposed final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. “The most important development to be brought to your kind notice is that the Tribunal has over-estimated the crop water requirement of Tamil Nadu based on the self serving affidavits of Tamil Nadu overlooking the objections of Karnataka,” he said in a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister.  A delegation, comprising MPs, Union ministers and Opposition party leaders from the state asked Singh not to notify the final award as the state was facing drought and drinking water problems. It says that the latest assessment made by the team of Central Water Commission (CWC) under the direction of Supreme Court “has exposed the incorrect claims of Tamil Nadu.” “Therefore, I feel that the very basis of allocation of water to Tamil Nadu needs to be revisited,” the memorandum said. “The Prime Minister said that they will study the issue and get back to us. Prime Minister said that he will look into the matter (sic),” Shettar said after the meeting. Karnataka commenced release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu from February 9 complying with the Supreme Court order directing it to release 2.44 tmc to save standing crops. The release triggered protests by farmers outfits. The Supreme Court had earlier this month asked the Centre to notify the final award of the Cauvery Water Tribunal by February 20. Karnataka has moved the Supreme Court seeking review of its order citing depleted storage in its reservoirs. “In spite of these problems, our government has released water to Tamil Nadu honouring the Supreme Court order. But for now, it is not possible for us to release water under the present condition,” Shettar had said in Hubli on Sunday. PTI