Cauvery row: Karnataka to move SC

New Delhi: The Karnataka government has decided to move to the Supreme Court on the Cauvery tribunal's verdict.

The government has decided to file an "original suit" and a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the February 5 final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal besides seeking clarification orders from the tribunal.

Home Minister M P Prakash said that the state Cabinet resolved to file an Original Suit under Article 131 of the Constitution and an SLP under Article 136 of the Constitution contesting the tribunal's final verdict.

The tribunal allocated 270 tmc ft of water to Karnataka, besides directing it to ensure release of 192 tmc ft of water annually to Tamil Nadu, which gets a share of 419 tmc ft in the Cauvery system.

The tribunal has allocated 30 tmc ft of water to Kerala and nine tmc ft to Puducherry, the other two riparian states in the Cauvery basin.

"The decision to file Original Suit, SLP and for a clarification order stemmed from the advise given by counsels who represented the state before the Tribunal and also on the suggestions mooted by state's Advocate General Udaya Holla, who was called to the Cabinet meeting," PTI quoted Prakash as saying.

Karnataka government has objections to the tribunal imposing a burden of 10 tmc ft of water for Environment protection as the state was of the opinion that water evaporation takes place in its areas also.

“The state would also challenge the tribunal order, which had asked it to release four tmc ft of water to compensate the loss of water that flows into sea,” he said.

Thursday's decision might help the state ease the on-going protests against the award in the Cauvery basin districts of Mandya and Mysore besides the city.

It was also likely to help the government to take the wind out of the sails of the opposition parties, which have been attacking it for failure to pronounce it's stand on the tribunal order.

However, Prakash declined to spell out details on the prayers the state would make in its original petition and SLP.

(With agency inputs)