(LiveMint)
In a ruling that marks the culmination of the longstanding Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court on Friday did a balancing act between the feuding neighbours even as it put supply of drinking water on a “higher pedestal”. Under the new arrangement, Karnataka would have to release 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water to Tamil Nadu as against an earlier quantum of 192 tmcft.
The court also allocated an additional 4.75 tmcft to Bengaluru to meet the drinking water and domestic requirements of the “global city”. As a result, Karnataka will now receive 284.75 tmcft as against the 270 tmcft it gets at present. The new water sharing scheme will be applicable for the next 15 years, the court held.Allocation to Tamil Nadu stands at 414.25 tmcft annually, which includes 10 tmcft on account of availability of groundwater. The states of Kerala and Puducherry would continue to receive 30 tmcft and 7 tmcft respectively.
