Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday said that the people of the state have a history of setting aside political differences and standing united to protect its interests.

The remarks were made at the all-party meeting convened to chalk out the state's legal and political strategy on the Cauvery water-sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu, in the wake of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's (CWRC's) direction to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily for 15 days, which was later upheld by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).


Cauvery water row: DMK stages protest | 'TVK neglecting farmers' issues' 

The CWMA has directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of Cauvery water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days. In response, Karnataka has called an all-party meeting, while pro-Kannada groups have announced a statewide bandh on August 13.

Cauvery Water Dispute: Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar to chair all-party meet today 

Cauvery Water Dispute: CWMA directs Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu 

The Central Government has clarified that Karnataka does not require the consent of other riparian states to proceed with the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir on the Cauvery River. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the Centre said the Supreme Court's 2018 Cauvery verdict does not mandate such consent.

Mekedatu Dam Project: Centre clarifies Karnataka doesn't need consent of riparian states

The southern Indian state of Karnataka has witnessed protests against the sharing of the Kaveri River water with neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The dawn-to-dusk shutdown which evoked partial response was called by various former leaders and other organizations in the state. Schools and colleges were shut in Bengaluru the capital of Karnataka.

Cauvery Bengaluru Bandh: Protest against water release by Karnataka to Tamil Nadu

The Cauvery River, which flows through the southern Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry, has been a focal point of one of the most contentious water disputes. This long-standing conflict, known as the Cauvery water dispute, has its roots in historical agreements and differing demands.&nbsp;

The Cauvery River, often referred to as the "Ganges of the South," is a vital water resource for the southern states.&nbsp;Its waters are used primarily for irrigation, providing sustenance to millions of farmers.&nbsp;

The dispute dates back to the colonial era when the British government established agreements to allocate the river's waters among the princely states of Mysore and Madras presidency (now Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, respectively).&nbsp;

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These pacts, known as the 1892 and 1924 agreements, laid the foundation for the dispute that would continue for over a century.

<h2>1892 agreement</h2>

The 1892 Agreement between&nbsp;the then State of Mysore and&nbsp;Madras was on taking up new irrigation works across the rivers.&nbsp;

But this agreement was not as significant as the one in 1924, which went on to become the real origin of the dispute.&nbsp;

<h2>1924 agreement&nbsp;</h2>

In 1910, Mysore proposed constructing the Kanambadi dam on the Cauvery River. Around the same time, Madras also proposed an irrigation project on the same river. Madras raised objections to the second phase of the Kanambadi project, prompting the Indian government's intervention.

Initially, the government hoped that the two states could reach a mutual agreement, but when this proved unattainable, a Court of Arbitration, led by Sir Henry Griffin, was appointed to address the issue.&nbsp;

Under Griffin's oversight, an agreement was crafted on February 18, 1924, which was intended to remain in effect for the next 50 years.

Comprising 10 clauses, the 1924 agreement stipulated that, for at least the subsequent five decades, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry would receive 75 per cent of the Cauvery water allocation, while 23 percent would be allocated to Mysore, with the remainder flowing into Kerala or what was then known as Travancore.

<h2>Post India's independence</h2>

After state reorganisation in 1956, Tamil Nadu received 75 per cent of Cauvery water and expanded its irrigated areas.&nbsp;But the issues persisted.&nbsp;

Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) was constituted in 1990 to adjudicate the water sharing issue. The tribunal's final order was issued in 2007.

As per this, 30 tmc (thousand million cubic feet) was alloted to Kerala, 270 tmc to Karnataka, 419 tmc to Tamil Nadu, and 7 tmc to Puducherry.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/manipur-govt-ensures-swift-action-after-photos-of-bodies-of-two-missing-students-go-viral-639684">Manipur govt ensures 'swift action' after photos of bodies of two missing students go viral</a>

On February 16, 2018, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous judgment which led to a decrease in Karnataka’s annual water releases from 192 TMC to 177.25 TMC. It also reduced Tamil Nadu's share of water.&nbsp;

On the court’s direction, the Centre on June 1, 2018, established the Cauvery Water Management Authority to implement the judgement.

On August 14, the Tamil Nadu government approached the Supreme Court, requesting its intervention in compelling Karnataka to immediately release 24,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water from its reservoirs.

Tamil Nadu urged the Court to instruct Karnataka to adhere to the release of 36.76 TMC of water, as mandated for September 2023 by the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in 2007.

Karnataka contended that lower rainfall in the Cauvery catchment area, encompassing regions in Kerala, had led to inadequate inflow into its reservoirs.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah explained that historically, whenever there was excess water in the reservoirs, Karnataka willingly supplied it to Tamil Nadu. However, this year, unfavourable conditions have left Karnataka unable to do so.

Once the matter reached the court, the Supreme Court declined to intervene with the orders of the Cauvery Water Management Authority and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee.

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These orders had directed Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu.

On September 18, the Cauvery Water Management Authority reiterated the requirement for Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water to Tamil Nadu for a duration of 15 days, upholding the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's previous order issued on September 12.

<h2>What are the contentions?&nbsp;</h2>

The Karnataka government contends that since the 1924 agreement had a 50-year expiration date, its terms should not be applicable to today's water distribution.

Karnataka also argues that at the time the agreement was reached, Tamil Nadu was a British province, and Karnataka was a princely state, which may have limited its ability to assert its interests effectively.

Conversely, Tamil Nadu asserts that altering the fundamental nature of 1924 agreement would be detrimental to both regions.

Tamil Nadu claims that when the agreement was originally negotiated, it was understood that its clauses would be reviewed after 50 years, rather than entirely overhauled.

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&nbsp;

The Cauvery River, which flows through the southern Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry, has been a focal point of one of the most contentious water disputes.

The Cauvery River, which flows through the southern Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry, has been a focal point of one of the most contentious water disputes. This long-standing conflict, known as the Cauvery water dispute, has its roots in historical agreements and differing demands. The Cauvery River, often referred to as the "Ganges of the South," is a vital water resource for the southern states. Its waters are used primarily for irrigation, providing sustenance to millions of farmers. The dispute dates back to the colonial era when the British government established agreements to allocate the river's waters among the princely states of Mysore and Madras presidency (now Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, respectively). Also Read | WHO report shows how Indians struggle to control their Blood Pressure These pacts, known as the 1892 and 1924 agreements, laid the foundation for the dispute that would continue for over a century. 1892 agreement The 1892 Agreement between the then State of Mysore and Madras was on taking up new irrigation works across the rivers. But this agreement was not as significant as the one in 1924, which went on to become the real origin of the dispute. 1924 agreement In 1910, Mysore proposed constructing the Kanambadi dam on the Cauvery River. Around the same time, Madras also proposed an irrigation project on the same river. Madras raised objections to the second phase of the Kanambadi project, prompting the Indian government's intervention. Initially, the government hoped that the two states could reach a mutual agreement, but when this proved unattainable, a Court of Arbitration, led by Sir Henry Griffin, was appointed to address the issue. Under Griffin's oversight, an agreement was crafted on February 18, 1924, which was intended to remain in effect for the next 50 years. Comprising 10 clauses, the 1924 agreement stipulated that, for at least the subsequent five decades, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry would receive 75 per cent of the Cauvery water allocation, while 23 percent would be allocated to Mysore, with the remainder flowing into Kerala or what was then known as Travancore. Post India's independence After state reorganisation in 1956, Tamil Nadu received 75 per cent of Cauvery water and expanded its irrigated areas. But the issues persisted. Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) was constituted in 1990 to adjudicate the water sharing issue. The tribunal's final order was issued in 2007. As per this, 30 tmc (thousand million cubic feet) was alloted to Kerala, 270 tmc to Karnataka, 419 tmc to Tamil Nadu, and 7 tmc to Puducherry. Also Read | Manipur govt ensures 'swift action' after photos of bodies of two missing students go viral On February 16, 2018, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous judgment which led to a decrease in Karnataka’s annual water releases from 192 TMC to 177.25 TMC. It also reduced Tamil Nadu's share of water. On the court’s direction, the Centre on June 1, 2018, established the Cauvery Water Management Authority to implement the judgement. On August 14, the Tamil Nadu government approached the Supreme Court, requesting its intervention in compelling Karnataka to immediately release 24,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water from its reservoirs. Tamil Nadu urged the Court to instruct Karnataka to adhere to the release of 36.76 TMC of water, as mandated for September 2023 by the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in 2007. Karnataka contended that lower rainfall in the Cauvery catchment area, encompassing regions in Kerala, had led to inadequate inflow into its reservoirs. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah explained that historically, whenever there was excess water in the reservoirs, Karnataka willingly supplied it to Tamil Nadu. However, this year, unfavourable conditions have left Karnataka unable to do so. Once the matter reached the court, the Supreme Court declined to intervene with the orders of the Cauvery Water Management Authority and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee. Watch | 78th UNGA Meet: EAM S Jaishankar to address UNGA meet amid mounting India-Canada diplomatic tensions × These orders had directed Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu. On September 18, the Cauvery Water Management Authority reiterated the requirement for Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water to Tamil Nadu for a duration of 15 days, upholding the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's previous order issued on September 12. What are the contentions? The Karnataka government contends that since the 1924 agreement had a 50-year expiration date, its terms should not be applicable to today's water distribution. Karnataka also argues that at the time the agreement was reached, Tamil Nadu was a British province, and Karnataka was a princely state, which may have limited its ability to assert its interests effectively. Conversely, Tamil Nadu asserts that altering the fundamental nature of 1924 agreement would be detrimental to both regions. Tamil Nadu claims that when the agreement was originally negotiated, it was understood that its clauses would be reviewed after 50 years, rather than entirely overhauled. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Explained: What is Cauvery water dispute between Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka?

India's Supreme Court (SC), on Thursday (September 21), refused to intervene in the dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the release of Cauvery River water for irrigation purposes.

The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) in its September 12 order, which was upheld by CWMA, directed Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs (cubic foot per second) of water every day for the next 15 days to Tamil Nadu.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai, PS Narasimha and Prashant Kumar Mishra, while declining to meddle, said that both CWMA and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) are conducting meetings regularly and also observing the water requirements every 15 days.&nbsp;

The bench further highlighted that both CWMA and CWRC, have experts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), who have weighed in on all the pertinent aspects like drought, deficit rainfall, and water level in the river and only then passed the order.

"We are therefore of the considered view that the factors which have been taken into consideration by both the authorities cannot be said to be irrelevant or extraneous. In that view, we are not inclined to interfere with the orders," the bench said.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Tamil Nadu, submitted that both the authorities despite having acknowledged there was scanty rainfall since August and the state was eligible for 7,200 cusecs of water, reduced the volume to 5,000 cusecs a day.

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"I am a low riparian state...water flows from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu from where it goes to Puducherry. There is a shortfall of rainfall which has been taken into consideration by the authorities. In a regular year, I would have been eligible for three times more but I am not seeking that. I am seeking what is rightfully mine," Rohatgi said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

He then added that Tamil Nadu has over five lakh acres of standing crop and on top of it is facing a drinking water issue for which more water is required in the Indian state.

"If the drought-like condition was taken into account and the authority calculated it to be 7,200 cusecs per day, then there was no occasion to further bring it down to 5,000 cusecs per day," he submitted.

On the other hand, senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Karnataka, said that the state was also facing drought-like conditions, and the release of 5,000 cusecs of water ordered by the authorities is against the "interest".&nbsp;

"We are facing a drinking water crisis, especially in urban areas including in Bengaluru," he said.

"They have taken into account IMD data, rainfall, water level in reservoirs and other relevant data after which they have arrived at the figure of 5,000 cusecs," Bhati said.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
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India's Supreme Court (SC), on Thursday (September 21), refused to intervene in the dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the release of Cauvery River water for irrigation purposes.

India's Supreme Court (SC), on Thursday (September 21), refused to intervene in the dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the release of Cauvery River water for irrigation purposes. The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) in its September 12 order, which was upheld by CWMA, directed Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs (cubic foot per second) of water every day for the next 15 days to Tamil Nadu. A bench of Justices BR Gavai, PS Narasimha and Prashant Kumar Mishra, while declining to meddle, said that both CWMA and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) are conducting meetings regularly and also observing the water requirements every 15 days. The bench further highlighted that both CWMA and CWRC, have experts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), who have weighed in on all the pertinent aspects like drought, deficit rainfall, and water level in the river and only then passed the order. "We are therefore of the considered view that the factors which have been taken into consideration by both the authorities cannot be said to be irrelevant or extraneous. In that view, we are not inclined to interfere with the orders," the bench said. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Tamil Nadu, submitted that both the authorities despite having acknowledged there was scanty rainfall since August and the state was eligible for 7,200 cusecs of water, reduced the volume to 5,000 cusecs a day. Also read: India trails behind: Even Bangladesh, Pakistan have more women in Lower House of Parliament "I am a low riparian state...water flows from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu from where it goes to Puducherry. There is a shortfall of rainfall which has been taken into consideration by the authorities. In a regular year, I would have been eligible for three times more but I am not seeking that. I am seeking what is rightfully mine," Rohatgi said. He then added that Tamil Nadu has over five lakh acres of standing crop and on top of it is facing a drinking water issue for which more water is required in the Indian state. "If the drought-like condition was taken into account and the authority calculated it to be 7,200 cusecs per day, then there was no occasion to further bring it down to 5,000 cusecs per day," he submitted. On the other hand, senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Karnataka, said that the state was also facing drought-like conditions, and the release of 5,000 cusecs of water ordered by the authorities is against the "interest". "We are facing a drinking water crisis, especially in urban areas including in Bengaluru," he said. "They have taken into account IMD data, rainfall, water level in reservoirs and other relevant data after which they have arrived at the figure of 5,000 cusecs," Bhati said. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Cauvery row: Supreme Court refuses to interfere with order directing Karnataka to release water for Tamil Nadu

India’s Supreme Court (SC) on Friday (August 25) deferred from passing any order in response to the Tamil Nadu government's plea seeking the release of 24,000 cusecs of Cauvery River water daily by neighbouring Karnataka state for irrigation.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice BR Gavai said it would be waiting for a report from the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on the amount of water released by Karnataka.

The report will be submitted by September 1, when the matter is next listed.

Appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, senior advocates CS Vaidyanathan and Mukul Rohatgi sought 10,000 cusecs of water be released by Karnataka in the interim, to make up for the water shortage in the state, Bar and Bench news outlet reported.

<h2>Tamil Nadu seeks more water for standing crops</h2>

But the senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the Karnataka government, said that the state government won’t be able to comply with the request due to a shortage of rainfall this year.

Advocate Divan said that Karnataka had already discharged water as mandated by CWMA and added that it takes three days for it to travel to Tamil Nadu.

But Rohatgi said that water has not been made available to the lower riparian state despite orders from CWMA.

Then Justice Gavai said, "Why do you not go before the authority? We do not have expertise in this. How can we pass any order? Please approach the authorities."

Justice Narasimha later said that the authority's orders were not being complied with.

Rohatgi informed the court that the Tamil Nadu state was also running out of water and that there was a “huge deficit”.

<h2>Hearing now on Sept 1</h2>

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the central government, then informed the apex court Bench that the CWMA would be meeting on Monday, following which the court listed the next hearing on September 1.

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The Karnataka government has earlier described as "wholly misconceived" Tamil Nadu's plea seeking a direction from the top court seeking release of 24,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily for standing crops.

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In an affidavit, it said that Tamil Nadu's plea was based on an incorrect assumption that "the current water year is a normal water year and not a distressed water year".

Rainfall has been 25 per cent lower and the water inflow into Karnataka's four reservoirs 42.5 per cent lesser, the affidavit said, adding that the stipulated release shall not be applicable this year.

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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India’s Supreme Court (SC) on Friday (August 25) deferred from passing any order in response to the Tamil Nadu government's plea seeking the release of 24,000 cusecs of Cauvery River water daily by neighbouring Karnataka state for irrigation.

India’s Supreme Court (SC) on Friday (August 25) deferred from passing any order in response to the Tamil Nadu government's plea seeking the release of 24,000 cusecs of Cauvery River water daily by neighbouring Karnataka state for irrigation. A three-judge bench headed by Justice BR Gavai said it would be waiting for a report from the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on the amount of water released by Karnataka. The report will be submitted by September 1, when the matter is next listed. Appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, senior advocates CS Vaidyanathan and Mukul Rohatgi sought 10,000 cusecs of water be released by Karnataka in the interim, to make up for the water shortage in the state, Bar and Bench news outlet reported. Tamil Nadu seeks more water for standing crops But the senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the Karnataka government, said that the state government won’t be able to comply with the request due to a shortage of rainfall this year. Advocate Divan said that Karnataka had already discharged water as mandated by CWMA and added that it takes three days for it to travel to Tamil Nadu. But Rohatgi said that water has not been made available to the lower riparian state despite orders from CWMA. Then Justice Gavai said, "Why do you not go before the authority? We do not have expertise in this. How can we pass any order? Please approach the authorities." Justice Narasimha later said that the authority's orders were not being complied with. Rohatgi informed the court that the Tamil Nadu state was also running out of water and that there was a “huge deficit”. Hearing now on Sept 1 Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the central government, then informed the apex court Bench that the CWMA would be meeting on Monday, following which the court listed the next hearing on September 1. Also read | Ukraine's F-16 pilots to start training in US in September: Pentagon The Karnataka government has earlier described as "wholly misconceived" Tamil Nadu's plea seeking a direction from the top court seeking release of 24,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily for standing crops. Also read | BRICS summit: India dismisses China's claim that New Delhi made a request for Modi-Xi meet In an affidavit, it said that Tamil Nadu's plea was based on an incorrect assumption that "the current water year is a normal water year and not a distressed water year". Rainfall has been 25 per cent lower and the water inflow into Karnataka's four reservoirs 42.5 per cent lesser, the affidavit said, adding that the stipulated release shall not be applicable this year. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Cauvery row: SC defers order on Tamil Nadu’s plea seeking more water

Rajya Sabha could not function for fifth consecutive day of Winter Session as the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rafale-deal-issue-rocks-rajya-sabha-house-adjourned-till-monday-184026">House was adjourned after heated exchanges</a> between the BJP and Congress members on Rafale deal while the AIADMK and DMK protested over Cauvery issue.

As the House met Tuesday morning, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu informed the members that various notices on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/andhra-pradesh-on-alert-as-cyclone-phethai-approaches-several-trains-cancelled-184746">urgent matters</a>, ranging from <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/odisha-evacuates-11600-people-as-cyclone-phethai-makes-landfall-in-andhra-pradesh-184904">cyclones affecting lives</a> in some states to price rise to agriculture crisis, have been admitted for discussion.

Naidu, who had adjourned the proceedings for the entire day on Monday amid uproar over Rafale, Cauvery and other issues, appealed to the members to let the House run its business.

The Chairman said that he was going through a privilege notice given by the Opposition.

However, soon after the papers were laid by the ministers, members from the two major political parties of Tamil Nadu — AIADMK and DMK —trooped into the Well of the House, carrying placards and shouting slogans against the construction of a dam on Cauvery river.

Some members from Andhra Pradesh were also seen displaying placards demanding special status for the state.

Amid sloganeering, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the privilege motion against the government on the Rafale jet deal should be accepted as the matter is agitating the minds of the people.

Azad alleged the government has misled Parliament and the Supreme Court on the issue, triggering vociferous protests from the treasury benches.

The senior Congress leader said the government has no right to continue in office and "should go".

Naidu, however, said that the Chair should be allowed to take a view on the Privilege notice.

The Congress had given the notice demanding an explanation from the government on why it provided the Supreme Court "wrong" information on the purchase of Rafale fighter jet from a French company.

Countering Azad, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said the government was ready to discuss all issues, including Rafale.

He demanded that the Congress apologise in the wake of the apex court's refusal to order a SIT probe in Rafale deal and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sajjan-kumar-resigns-from-congress-primary-membership-writes-to-rahul-gandhi-184982">Sajjan Kumar's</a> conviction by the Delhi High Court in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

As slogan shouting by the AIADMK and DMK members continued in the Well of the House, Naidu adjourned the House till 2 PM.

When the House resumed in the afternoon again, Naidu proposed to discuss calling the attention of the Minister of Home Affairs on the situation arising due to the devastation caused by cyclones Gaja and Titli in some states and the action taken by the government in this regard.

However, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma raised a point of order saying that Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs had referred to Rahul Gandhi and it is against the rule to demand his apology because he is a member of other House.

Soon after, the ruling party member again started raising slogans and demanded an apology from Gandhi while some of the AIADMK and DMK members trooped into the well to protest over Cauvery issue.

Naidu said that there is no point of order in the matter and asked the member to discuss the serious issues mainly related to farmers which are a problem not only in Tamil Naidu but across the country.

Rajya Sabha proceedings have been disrupted since the session started last week on issues like Rafale, the dam on Cauvery river and the demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

Rajya Sabha could not function for fifth consecutive day of Winter Session as the House was adjourned after heated exchanges between the BJP and Congress members on Rafale deal while the AIADMK and DMK protested over Cauvery issue.

Rajya Sabha could not function for fifth consecutive day of Winter Session as the House was adjourned after heated exchanges between the BJP and Congress members on Rafale deal while the AIADMK and DMK protested over Cauvery issue. As the House met Tuesday morning, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu informed the members that various notices on urgent matters, ranging from cyclones affecting lives in some states to price rise to agriculture crisis, have been admitted for discussion. Naidu, who had adjourned the proceedings for the entire day on Monday amid uproar over Rafale, Cauvery and other issues, appealed to the members to let the House run its business. The Chairman said that he was going through a privilege notice given by the Opposition. However, soon after the papers were laid by the ministers, members from the two major political parties of Tamil Nadu — AIADMK and DMK —trooped into the Well of the House, carrying placards and shouting slogans against the construction of a dam on Cauvery river. Some members from Andhra Pradesh were also seen displaying placards demanding special status for the state. Amid sloganeering, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the privilege motion against the government on the Rafale jet deal should be accepted as the matter is agitating the minds of the people. Azad alleged the government has misled Parliament and the Supreme Court on the issue, triggering vociferous protests from the treasury benches. The senior Congress leader said the government has no right to continue in office and "should go". Naidu, however, said that the Chair should be allowed to take a view on the Privilege notice. The Congress had given the notice demanding an explanation from the government on why it provided the Supreme Court "wrong" information on the purchase of Rafale fighter jet from a French company. Countering Azad, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said the government was ready to discuss all issues, including Rafale. He demanded that the Congress apologise in the wake of the apex court's refusal to order a SIT probe in Rafale deal and Sajjan Kumar's conviction by the Delhi High Court in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. As slogan shouting by the AIADMK and DMK members continued in the Well of the House, Naidu adjourned the House till 2 PM. When the House resumed in the afternoon again, Naidu proposed to discuss calling the attention of the Minister of Home Affairs on the situation arising due to the devastation caused by cyclones Gaja and Titli in some states and the action taken by the government in this regard. However, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma raised a point of order saying that Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs had referred to Rahul Gandhi and it is against the rule to demand his apology because he is a member of other House. Soon after, the ruling party member again started raising slogans and demanded an apology from Gandhi while some of the AIADMK and DMK members trooped into the well to protest over Cauvery issue. Naidu said that there is no point of order in the matter and asked the member to discuss the serious issues mainly related to farmers which are a problem not only in Tamil Naidu but across the country. Rajya Sabha proceedings have been disrupted since the session started last week on issues like Rafale, the dam on Cauvery river and the demand for special status to Andhra Pradesh.

For fifth consecutive day, Rajya Sabha disrupted over Rafale, Cauvery

The Supreme Court <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cauvery-dispute-supreme-court-reserves-order-on-centres-dr">has approved government's draft</a> Cauvery management scheme for the smooth distribution of water among four states - Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.

India's top court dismissed Tamil Nadu's plea seeking initiation of contempt against Centre for the non-finalisation of Cauvery scheme.&nbsp;

The apex court <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sc-tells-centre-it-is-in-sheer-contempt-for-not-framing-cauvery-water-sharing-plan-135512">said the Cauvery Tribunal Award</a> has to be taken to its logical conclusion by the Cauvery management scheme.

The Supreme Court also rejected the suggestion of Karnataka and Kerala governments for the scheme, terming it as devoid of merits.

The apex court while delivering the verdict in February had asked the government to frame the Cauvery management scheme, including the creation of the Cauvery management board for the release of water from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

The Court had earlier rapped the Centre for failing to fame a scheme for the distribution of water to the four states, declaring that it was "sheer contempt" of its direction.

The Supreme Court had raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share, while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin.

&nbsp;

India's top court dismissed Tamil Nadu's plea seeking initiation of contempt against Centre for the non-finalisation of Cauvery scheme.

The Supreme Court has approved government's draft Cauvery management scheme for the smooth distribution of water among four states - Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry. India's top court dismissed Tamil Nadu's plea seeking initiation of contempt against Centre for the non-finalisation of Cauvery scheme. The apex court said the Cauvery Tribunal Award has to be taken to its logical conclusion by the Cauvery management scheme. The Supreme Court also rejected the suggestion of Karnataka and Kerala governments for the scheme, terming it as devoid of merits. The apex court while delivering the verdict in February had asked the government to frame the Cauvery management scheme, including the creation of the Cauvery management board for the release of water from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. The Court had earlier rapped the Centre for failing to fame a scheme for the distribution of water to the four states, declaring that it was "sheer contempt" of its direction. The Supreme Court had raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share, while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin.

Supreme Court approves government's draft on Cauvery management scheme

The Supreme Court today asked the Karnataka government to give 4 tmc water to Tamil Nadu, ordering that the state would "face consequences" if it breaches order.

Karnataka must release water to Tamil Nadu for April and May, India's top court said.

India's Attorney General&nbsp;Venugopal told the apex court that PM Modi and his Cabinet were busy with the impending Karnataka elections.&nbsp;

Karnataka must tell us how much water it can release, it said, adding, the court is not concerned about the Karnataka elections. 
&nbsp; 
In February, the Supreme Court had directed Karnataka to release 177.25 TMC of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu after several decades of dispute.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

India's highest court had also allowed Tami Nadu to draw an additional 10 TMC 'groundwater' from a total of 20 TMC beneath the Cauvery basin.&nbsp;

The court had said there should be "no deviance" of the order by any state.

The Supreme Court had said the order will remain in force for the next 15 years.

Karnataka must tell us how much water it can release, India's apex court said.

The Supreme Court today asked the Karnataka government to give 4 tmc water to Tamil Nadu, ordering that the state would "face consequences" if it breaches order. Karnataka must release water to Tamil Nadu for April and May, India's top court said. India's Attorney General Venugopal told the apex court that PM Modi and his Cabinet were busy with the impending Karnataka elections. Karnataka must tell us how much water it can release, it said, adding, the court is not concerned about the Karnataka elections. In February, the Supreme Court had directed Karnataka to release 177.25 TMC of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu after several decades of dispute. India's highest court had also allowed Tami Nadu to draw an additional 10 TMC 'groundwater' from a total of 20 TMC beneath the Cauvery basin. The court had said there should be "no deviance" of the order by any state. The Supreme Court had said the order will remain in force for the next 15 years.

Cauvery row: Karnataka must release water to Tamil Nadu, or face consequences, says SC

The Centre has sought a two weeks time from the apex court for framing a scheme to implement&nbsp;the court's verdict in the Cauvery water dispute.&nbsp;

On April 9 also, the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cauvery-water-row-supreme-court-asks-centre-to-file-scheme-by-may-3-129314">Centre had asked the apex court for extending the deadline</a>.

The Supreme Court had then responded to the plea by allowing the Centre to file its draft scheme by May 3.

The original deadline for framing the scheme to implement the court's verdict&nbsp;ended on March 29.

The apex court had on February 16 raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu’s share while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin, saying the issue of drinking water has to be placed on a “higher pedestal”.&nbsp;

It also directed the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance with its 465-page judgement on water dispute. It further modified the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award of 2007 and made it clear that it will not be extending time for this on any ground.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cauvery?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cauvery</a> water dispute case: Union of India approached the Supreme Court & sought a time of two more weeks to frame a scheme for implementation of the court's verdict in the matter.
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The original deadline for framing the scheme to implement the court's verdict ended on March 29

The Centre has sought a two weeks time from the apex court for framing a scheme to implement the court's verdict in the Cauvery water dispute. On April 9 also, the Centre had asked the apex court for extending the deadline. The Supreme Court had then responded to the plea by allowing the Centre to file its draft scheme by May 3. The original deadline for framing the scheme to implement the court's verdict ended on March 29. The apex court had on February 16 raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu’s share while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin, saying the issue of drinking water has to be placed on a “higher pedestal”. It also directed the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance with its 465-page judgement on water dispute. It further modified the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award of 2007 and made it clear that it will not be extending time for this on any ground. #Cauvery water dispute case: Union of India approached the Supreme Court & sought a time of two more weeks to frame a scheme for implementation of the court's verdict in the matter. — ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2018 ×

Cauvery Water Dispute: Centre seeks 2 weeks time for filing scheme

Amid fasting over the "washout" of the Budget session of Parliament, PM Modi today inaugurated the&nbsp;DefExpo at Mahabalipuram even as&nbsp;political parties staged protests&nbsp;over the Cauvery issue on Thursday.

Thamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi leader Velmurugan and other protesters were detained by police as they were protesting outside the airport when PM Modi arrived in Chennai.&nbsp;

The Cauvery issue has become the focal point of attention in the city even hitting the cricket IPL with the BCCI on Wednesday deciding to shift the venue for the Chennai matches due to the ongoing Cauvery agitation.

"Over 40 countries have sent their delegation to the event,"&nbsp;PM Modi said at the event, adding that India has one of the largest peacekeeping forces in the world.&nbsp;

"Commitment to peace is a commitment to our people,"&nbsp;the PM said while speaking at the event. "It is wonderful to see 500 firms at this Expo," the PM said.

"We are taking all steps to equip our forces,"&nbsp;he added.

"We have increased FDI in defence to 49 per cent,"&nbsp;Modi said at the event, adding that India is committed to building defence corridors.

"The defence corridors will be made in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu,"&nbsp;PM Modi&nbsp;informed. "Make in India will boost innovation," he said.

"We encourage defence-based startups, we want to transform not tinker," PM Modi declared.&nbsp;

Speaking at the DefExpo,&nbsp;Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said&nbsp;50 per cent of Expo manufacturers consisted of Indians, most of them small and medium industries.

According to the Defence Ministry, over 670 defence firms including 154 foreign manufacturers are participating in the exhibition of weapons and military hardware.

It is being attended by official delegations from over 47 countries including the US, the UK, Russia, Afghanistan and Sweden, Finland, Italy, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nepal, Portugal, Seychelles and Vietnam.

Heavy security measures have been put in&nbsp;place in the city over&nbsp;PM Modi's visit.&nbsp;There were reports of protests near the airport in Alandur area.

Earlier this week, actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth had called for IPL venue to be shifted out of Chennai in view of the ongoing Cauvery row and the plight of the farmers.

Rajinikanth had said&nbsp;he felt "embarrassed" that the IPL matches are being held in the city. The BCCI confirmed on Wednesday evening that Chennai will no longer host the IPL matches in the city as a result.

Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth had called for IPL venue to be shifted out of Chennai in view of the ongoing Cauvery row and the plight of the farmers.

Amid fasting over the "washout" of the Budget session of Parliament, PM Modi today inaugurated the DefExpo at Mahabalipuram even as political parties staged protests over the Cauvery issue on Thursday. Thamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi leader Velmurugan and other protesters were detained by police as they were protesting outside the airport when PM Modi arrived in Chennai. The Cauvery issue has become the focal point of attention in the city even hitting the cricket IPL with the BCCI on Wednesday deciding to shift the venue for the Chennai matches due to the ongoing Cauvery agitation. "Over 40 countries have sent their delegation to the event," PM Modi said at the event, adding that India has one of the largest peacekeeping forces in the world. "Commitment to peace is a commitment to our people," the PM said while speaking at the event. "It is wonderful to see 500 firms at this Expo," the PM said. "We are taking all steps to equip our forces," he added. "We have increased FDI in defence to 49 per cent," Modi said at the event, adding that India is committed to building defence corridors. "The defence corridors will be made in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu," PM Modi informed. "Make in India will boost innovation," he said. "We encourage defence-based startups, we want to transform not tinker," PM Modi declared. Speaking at the DefExpo, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said 50 per cent of Expo manufacturers consisted of Indians, most of them small and medium industries. According to the Defence Ministry, over 670 defence firms including 154 foreign manufacturers are participating in the exhibition of weapons and military hardware. It is being attended by official delegations from over 47 countries including the US, the UK, Russia, Afghanistan and Sweden, Finland, Italy, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nepal, Portugal, Seychelles and Vietnam. Heavy security measures have been put in place in the city over PM Modi's visit. There were reports of protests near the airport in Alandur area. Earlier this week, actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth had called for IPL venue to be shifted out of Chennai in view of the ongoing Cauvery row and the plight of the farmers. Rajinikanth had said he felt "embarrassed" that the IPL matches are being held in the city. The BCCI confirmed on Wednesday evening that Chennai will no longer host the IPL matches in the city as a result.

At DefExpo, PM Modi says India will build defence corridors

Pro-Tamil outfits protesting over the Cauvery issue today showed black flags to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he arrived to formally inaugurate India's mega defence exhibition, Defexpo, at Thiruvidanthai, about 40 km from here.

The Tamizhar Vazhvuirimai Kootamaippu (TVK), an umbrella outfit of pro-Tamil outfits, and Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi is led by MLA M Thamimun Ansari were among the organisations that staged protests in the vicinity of the Chennai airport.

Veteran film director Bharathiraja and film-maker Ameer held a demonstration at the airport premises, raising slogans.

Police dispersed some of the protesters and detained others.

In view of the protests, traffic snarls were witnessed around the airport and in its surrounding areas.

Black flags were hoisted atop the residences of DMK chief M Karunanidhi, party working president M K Stalin, Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi and other leaders, in protest against Modi's visit and for not forming the Cauvery Management Board.

In Erode district, DMK workers released black balloons and about 50 workers were detained.

Some opposition parties and pro-Tamil outfits had yesterday said they would hold black flag protest against Modi's visit to Tamil Nadu. 
&nbsp

Veteran film director Bharathiraja and film-maker Ameer held a demonstration at the airport premises, raising slogans.

Pro-Tamil outfits protesting over the Cauvery issue today showed black flags to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he arrived to formally inaugurate India's mega defence exhibition, Defexpo, at Thiruvidanthai, about 40 km from here. The Tamizhar Vazhvuirimai Kootamaippu (TVK), an umbrella outfit of pro-Tamil outfits, and Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi is led by MLA M Thamimun Ansari were among the organisations that staged protests in the vicinity of the Chennai airport. Veteran film director Bharathiraja and film-maker Ameer held a demonstration at the airport premises, raising slogans. Police dispersed some of the protesters and detained others. In view of the protests, traffic snarls were witnessed around the airport and in its surrounding areas. Black flags were hoisted atop the residences of DMK chief M Karunanidhi, party working president M K Stalin, Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi and other leaders, in protest against Modi's visit and for not forming the Cauvery Management Board. In Erode district, DMK workers released black balloons and about 50 workers were detained. Some opposition parties and pro-Tamil outfits had yesterday said they would hold black flag protest against Modi's visit to Tamil Nadu.

Watch: Pro-tamil groups show black flags during PM Modi's Chennai visit

PM Modi will arrive in Chennai today to officially inaugurate the four-day-long DefExpo on the outskirts of Chennai.

Heavy security is in place as PM Modi arrives in Chennai with DMK working president M K Stalin declaring that people would hoist black flags atop their houses during PM Modi's visit over the government's &nbsp;"inaction" on the Cauvery issue.

On Wednesday, the Indian Premier League(IPL) cricket tournament was shifted from the city over the Cauvery row after protesters demonstrated outside the stadium. Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth had called for IPL venue to be shifted out of Chennai in view of the ongoing Cauvery row and the plight of the farmers.

&nbsp;Rajinikanth had said&nbsp;he felt "embarrassed" that the IPL matches are being held in the city. The BCCI confirmed on Wednesday evening that Chennai will no longer host the IPL matches in the city as a result.

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Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said though the Prime Minister will be fasting, he will be inaugurating the defence expo in Chennai.

Modi and other BJP leaders are slated to observe a day-long fast today to protest against the "washout" of the Budget session of Parliament due to disruptions by the Opposition.

According to the Defence Ministry, over 670 defence firms including 154 foreign manufacturers are participating in the exhibition of weapons and military hardware.

It is being attended by official delegations from over 47 countries including the US, the UK, Russia, Afghanistan and Sweden, Finland, Italy, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nepal, Portugal, Seychelles and Vietnam.

Heavy security is in place as PM Modi arrives in Chennai with DMK working president M K Stalin declaring that people would hoist black flags atop their houses

PM Modi will arrive in Chennai today to officially inaugurate the four-day-long DefExpo on the outskirts of Chennai. Heavy security is in place as PM Modi arrives in Chennai with DMK working president M K Stalin declaring that people would hoist black flags atop their houses during PM Modi's visit over the government's "inaction" on the Cauvery issue. On Wednesday, the Indian Premier League(IPL) cricket tournament was shifted from the city over the Cauvery row after protesters demonstrated outside the stadium. Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth had called for IPL venue to be shifted out of Chennai in view of the ongoing Cauvery row and the plight of the farmers. Rajinikanth had said he felt "embarrassed" that the IPL matches are being held in the city. The BCCI confirmed on Wednesday evening that Chennai will no longer host the IPL matches in the city as a result. Security tightened outside Chennai airport ahead of PM Modi's arrival. #CauveryProtests pic.twitter.com/LogJRIMYRF — ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2018 × Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said though the Prime Minister will be fasting, he will be inaugurating the defence expo in Chennai. Modi and other BJP leaders are slated to observe a day-long fast today to protest against the "washout" of the Budget session of Parliament due to disruptions by the Opposition. According to the Defence Ministry, over 670 defence firms including 154 foreign manufacturers are participating in the exhibition of weapons and military hardware. It is being attended by official delegations from over 47 countries including the US, the UK, Russia, Afghanistan and Sweden, Finland, Italy, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nepal, Portugal, Seychelles and Vietnam.

Watch: PM Modi to arrive in Chennai today as Cauvery row takes centrestage

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cauvery-protest-ipl-matches-shifted-out-of-chennai-sources--129847">After Cauvery protests, all IPL matches shifted out of Chennai: Sources</a>

After days of uncertainty, Indian Premier League matches to be held in Chennai has now been shifted to another venue due to the ongoing Cauvery protest. People are protesting against the Centre's negligence for the formation of Cauvery Management Board (CMB).

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/over-hundred-killed-in-a-military-plane-crash-in-algeria-129830">257 dead in Algeria military plane crash, says official</a>

An Algerian military plane crashed on Wednesday with around &nbsp;257 people, mostly military personnel, on board. A military source told media that there were no survivors.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-us-senator-has-zuckerberg-have-a-taste-of-his-own-medicine-asks-for-personal-details--129860">US senator asks for personal details, Facebook's Zuckerberg won't give them</a>

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's five-hour-long testimony before US lawmakers had him grilled to his core, but one question that had the Facebook chief foxed out of his wits was when Senator Richard J. Durbin asked him to share the details of his hotel stay from the previous night.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/aap-to-contest-rajasthan-assembly-polls-removes-kumar-vishwas-as-state-unit-incharge-129837">AAP removes Kumar Vishwas as Rajasthan in-charge, says will contest assembly polls</a>

Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party has removed Kumar Vishwas as party's Rajasthan unit in-charge. Deepak Bajpai will now take over Vishwas's office. Kumar Vishwas was appointed as Rajasthan unit's in-charge last year in May.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-south-indian-film-casting-couch-telugu-actress-sri-reddy-says-producers-son-forced-her-to-have-sex-129867">Telugu actress Sri Reddy </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-south-indian-film-casting-couch-telugu-actress-sri-reddy-says-producers-son-forced-her-to-have-sex-129867">strips,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-south-indian-film-casting-couch-telugu-actress-sri-reddy-says-producers-son-forced-her-to-have-sex-129867"> alleges Rana Daggubati's brother forced her to have sex with him</a>

Telugu actress Sri Reddy revealed last night, what could be the biggest casting couch scandal of South Indian cinema. Leaking intimate pictures of herself engaged with top South Indian film producer Abhiram Daggubati -- she claims that the latter forced her to perform sex with him in lieu of casting her in films.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

After Cauvery protests, all IPL matches shifted out of Chennai: Sources After days of uncertainty, Indian Premier League matches to be held in Chennai has now been shifted to another venue due to the ongoing Cauvery protest. People are protesting against the Centre's negligence for the formation of Cauvery Management Board (CMB). 257 dead in Algeria military plane crash, says official An Algerian military plane crashed on Wednesday with around 257 people, mostly military personnel, on board. A military source told media that there were no survivors. US senator asks for personal details, Facebook's Zuckerberg won't give them Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's five-hour-long testimony before US lawmakers had him grilled to his core, but one question that had the Facebook chief foxed out of his wits was when Senator Richard J. Durbin asked him to share the details of his hotel stay from the previous night. AAP removes Kumar Vishwas as Rajasthan in-charge, says will contest assembly polls Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party has removed Kumar Vishwas as party's Rajasthan unit in-charge. Deepak Bajpai will now take over Vishwas's office. Kumar Vishwas was appointed as Rajasthan unit's in-charge last year in May. Telugu actress Sri Reddy strips, alleges Rana Daggubati's brother forced her to have sex with him Telugu actress Sri Reddy revealed last night, what could be the biggest casting couch scandal of South Indian cinema. Leaking intimate pictures of herself engaged with top South Indian film producer Abhiram Daggubati -- she claims that the latter forced her to perform sex with him in lieu of casting her in films.

News brief: Big stories of the day

The Supreme Court today agreed to hear a contempt plea of the Tamil Nadu government against the Centre for not constituting the Cauvery Management Board (CMB).

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud posted the matter for April 9.

"We understand Tamil Nadu's difficulty of not getting water. We will resolve the issue. List the matter for April 9," the bench said.

Tamil Nadu had sought contempt action against the Centre for "failure" to frame the scheme for the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee within six weeks, as directed by the apex court on February 16.

Tamil Nadu, in its contempt plea, said the Centre was bound to give effect to the judgement by framing a scheme so that the authorities of - Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee - were put in place within six weeks.

It said the authorities needed to be in place so that the decisions of the tribunal as modified by the apex court were implemented in accordance with the time schedule prescribed therein.

The Centre, meanwhile, in its petition had said that since there were divergent views between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on the constitution of the CMB, the apex court should clarify whether "it is open to the central government to frame the scheme under 6A at variance with the recommendations contained in the report of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) regarding the Cauvery Management Board".

Karnataka has opposed the constitution of the CMB and sought some alternative mechanism to implement the verdict.

The Union government also said that considering the overall sensitivity of the issues involved, the apex court may also clarify whether it had any flexibility in modifying the composition of the CMB to "a mixture of administrative and technical body" and "not purely a technical body" as recommended by the CWDT for effective conduct of the business of the board.

The apex court had on February 16 raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share, while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin, saying "the issue of drinking water has to be placed on a higher pedestal".

With the apex court's verdict, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry would be annually entitled to 404.25 tmcft, 284.75 tmcft, 30 tmcft and 7 tmcft of Cauvery water, respectively out of the total of 740 tmcft of water.

It had granted six weeks time to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement on the decades-old Cauvery dispute, and made it clear that it will no longer be extending time on the matter.

The Supreme Court had also ruled that its verdict on the Cauvery water allocation will continue for the next 15 years.

Karnataka has opposed the constitution of the CMB and sought some alternative mechanism to implement the verdict.

The Supreme Court today agreed to hear a contempt plea of the Tamil Nadu government against the Centre for not constituting the Cauvery Management Board (CMB). A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud posted the matter for April 9. "We understand Tamil Nadu's difficulty of not getting water. We will resolve the issue. List the matter for April 9," the bench said. Tamil Nadu had sought contempt action against the Centre for "failure" to frame the scheme for the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee within six weeks, as directed by the apex court on February 16. Tamil Nadu, in its contempt plea, said the Centre was bound to give effect to the judgement by framing a scheme so that the authorities of - Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee - were put in place within six weeks. It said the authorities needed to be in place so that the decisions of the tribunal as modified by the apex court were implemented in accordance with the time schedule prescribed therein. The Centre, meanwhile, in its petition had said that since there were divergent views between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on the constitution of the CMB, the apex court should clarify whether "it is open to the central government to frame the scheme under 6A at variance with the recommendations contained in the report of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) regarding the Cauvery Management Board". Karnataka has opposed the constitution of the CMB and sought some alternative mechanism to implement the verdict. The Union government also said that considering the overall sensitivity of the issues involved, the apex court may also clarify whether it had any flexibility in modifying the composition of the CMB to "a mixture of administrative and technical body" and "not purely a technical body" as recommended by the CWDT for effective conduct of the business of the board. The apex court had on February 16 raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share, while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin, saying "the issue of drinking water has to be placed on a higher pedestal". With the apex court's verdict, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry would be annually entitled to 404.25 tmcft, 284.75 tmcft, 30 tmcft and 7 tmcft of Cauvery water, respectively out of the total of 740 tmcft of water. It had granted six weeks time to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement on the decades-old Cauvery dispute, and made it clear that it will no longer be extending time on the matter. The Supreme Court had also ruled that its verdict on the Cauvery water allocation will continue for the next 15 years.

SC to hear Tamil Nadu's plea against Centre on Cauvery Management Board

Protests and sloganeering marked the day&#39;s proceedings in the Lok Sabha Thursday.&nbsp;

Opposition MPs could be heard chanting &quot;We want justice&quot; in the background, even as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tried to conduct the day&#39;s business.&nbsp;

As the protests grew louder, she said, &quot;Nobody wants to listen, nobody wants to run the House.&quot; She then adjourned the Lok Sabha till 12 pm.&nbsp;

A little after the house reconvened, it was adjourned for the day.&nbsp;

This is the 14thd day now that the Lok Sabha has been disrupted.&nbsp;

Similar scenes were witness in the Rajya Sabha which&nbsp;was adjourned till Friday.&nbsp;

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Rajya Sabha adjourned till tomorrow after TDP MPs walked up to the Well with placards, raising slogans, demanding special status for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AndhraPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AndhraPradesh</a> <a href="https://t.co/JCGRkIOFhk">pic.twitter.com/JCGRkIOFhk</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/976697542254780417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

As the protests grew louder, she said, "Nobody wants to listen, nobody wants to run the House." She then adjourned the Lok Sabha till 12 pm.

Protests and sloganeering marked the day's proceedings in the Lok Sabha Thursday. Opposition MPs could be heard chanting "We want justice" in the background, even as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tried to conduct the day's business. As the protests grew louder, she said, "Nobody wants to listen, nobody wants to run the House." She then adjourned the Lok Sabha till 12 pm. A little after the house reconvened, it was adjourned for the day. This is the 14thd day now that the Lok Sabha has been disrupted. Similar scenes were witness in the Rajya Sabha which was adjourned till Friday. Rajya Sabha adjourned till tomorrow after TDP MPs walked up to the Well with placards, raising slogans, demanding special status for #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/JCGRkIOFhk — ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2018 ×

Both houses of Parliament adjourned again, no-trust motion not taken up

The Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted today for the 13th day after members from the AIADMK and TRS continued with their noisy protests, stalling the taking up of two notices of no-confidence motion against the council of ministers for the fourth day.

Amid the din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that she cannot do a headcount of 50 members supporting the move, a prerequisite for taking up the notices for the trust vote.

She then adjourned the House for the day.

Minutes after the House met this morning, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings for an hour due to protests by parties from Andhra, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. When the House reassembled at 12 noon, members from the AIADMK, TDP and the TRS were seen raising slogans and holding placards in the Well.

While the AIADMK wants early establishment of the Cauvery river board to settle the water dispute with neighbouring states, the TRS is demanding hiked quota for Telangana. The TDP is demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.

Expelled RJD member Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav was seen holding a placard demanding special status for Bihar. The members from Congress, TMC and the Left were standing at their seats.

After the laying of papers by ministers, when the protests continued, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar urged the members to return to their seats so that legislative business could be taken up.

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Ruckus in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RajyaSabha?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RajyaSabha</a>, TDP MPs storm the well of the House over demand of special status to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AndhraPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AndhraPradesh</a>, opposition members say, &#39;it is also the duty of the govt to facilitate proceedings of the House.&#39; Chairman adjourns the House till 11 am, tomorrow. <a href="https://t.co/fI0KOvGgsE">pic.twitter.com/fI0KOvGgsE</a>
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He said the government is willing to discuss any issue, including the no-confidence motion. &quot;We have the confidence of the House as well as of the entire country,&quot; he said. 
 
When the Speaker took up the two notices of the trust vote given by the TDP and YSRC, the AIADMK members raised the pitch of their slogans. TRS members were also seen in the Well.

Mahajan said while she is duty-bound to take up the notices, she cannot move ahead due to the ruckus.

She noted that she is not in a position to count the 50 members supporting the move as she can&#39;t see anything from the chair. Placards were apparently blocking her view.

Members from the Congress, TMC and the Left raised their hands to indicate to the Speaker that they were supporting the motion.

But Mahajan said as the House is not in order, she cannot move ahead with the issue and adjourned the Lok Sabha for the day.

At least 50 members have to support the motion before it is moved for which a headcount is done. However, it is difficult to carry out the exercise when there are disruptions and several members are standing, former top LS officials explained.&nbsp;

Even before Speaker Sumitra Mahajan took up the Question Hour, MPs from the TDP, YSR Congress, TRS and AIADMK, trooped into the well of the house holding placards

The Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted today for the 13th day after members from the AIADMK and TRS continued with their noisy protests, stalling the taking up of two notices of no-confidence motion against the council of ministers for the fourth day. Amid the din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that she cannot do a headcount of 50 members supporting the move, a prerequisite for taking up the notices for the trust vote. She then adjourned the House for the day. Minutes after the House met this morning, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings for an hour due to protests by parties from Andhra, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. When the House reassembled at 12 noon, members from the AIADMK, TDP and the TRS were seen raising slogans and holding placards in the Well. While the AIADMK wants early establishment of the Cauvery river board to settle the water dispute with neighbouring states, the TRS is demanding hiked quota for Telangana. The TDP is demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. Expelled RJD member Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav was seen holding a placard demanding special status for Bihar. The members from Congress, TMC and the Left were standing at their seats. After the laying of papers by ministers, when the protests continued, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar urged the members to return to their seats so that legislative business could be taken up. Ruckus in #RajyaSabha, TDP MPs storm the well of the House over demand of special status to #AndhraPradesh, opposition members say, 'it is also the duty of the govt to facilitate proceedings of the House.' Chairman adjourns the House till 11 am, tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/fI0KOvGgsE — ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2018 × He said the government is willing to discuss any issue, including the no-confidence motion. "We have the confidence of the House as well as of the entire country," he said. When the Speaker took up the two notices of the trust vote given by the TDP and YSRC, the AIADMK members raised the pitch of their slogans. TRS members were also seen in the Well. Mahajan said while she is duty-bound to take up the notices, she cannot move ahead due to the ruckus. She noted that she is not in a position to count the 50 members supporting the move as she can't see anything from the chair. Placards were apparently blocking her view. Members from the Congress, TMC and the Left raised their hands to indicate to the Speaker that they were supporting the motion. But Mahajan said as the House is not in order, she cannot move ahead with the issue and adjourned the Lok Sabha for the day. At least 50 members have to support the motion before it is moved for which a headcount is done. However, it is difficult to carry out the exercise when there are disruptions and several members are standing, former top LS officials explained.

Lok Sabha disrupted for 13th day, no-confidence motion not taken up again

The Supreme Court <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cauvery-verdict-bus-services-between-karnataka-tamil-nadu-curtailed-33040">today delivered its verdict on</a> the decades-old Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

The Supreme Court<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/siddaramaiah-refuses-to-release-cauvery-water-to-tamil-nadu-29432"> judge directed Karnataka to</a> get additional 14.75&nbsp; thousand million cubic(TMC) water and Tamil Nadu to now get 177.25 TMC&nbsp;water instead of 192 TMC.

SC directed Karnataka to release 177.25 TMC&nbsp;of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu from its inter-state Biligundlu dam.

Bengaluru will get additional 4.2 TMC&nbsp;water, India&#39;s highest court said. There is no change in allocation for Kerala and Puducherry, the court declared.

The apex court also allowed Tami Nadu to draw an additional 10 TMC&nbsp;&#39;groundwater&#39; from a total of 20 TMC&nbsp;beneath the Cauvery basin.

It said the increase in share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft is because of the 10 tmcft groundwater and 4.75 tmcft drinking water requirement for Bengaluru residents.

The pre-Independence verdict is valid, the top court said in its verdict, adding that no state can claim&nbsp;&quot;exclusivity&nbsp;over rivers.&quot;&nbsp;

The court said there should be &quot;no deviance&quot;&nbsp;of the order by any state.

The Court also directed the Cauvery water dispute management to be set up. The Supreme Court order will remain in force for the next 15 years.

Tamil Nadu, represented by senior advocate Shekhar Naphade had urged the court to initiate a &ldquo;fundamental change&rdquo; in the water sharing arrangement.&nbsp;

The Cauvery water dispute was decided unanimously by CWDT in 2007, after determining the total availability of water in the Cauvery basin at 740 thousand million cubic (tmc) feet at the Lower Coleroon Anicut site, including 14 tmcft for environmental protection.

The Supreme Court today delivered its verdict on the decades-old Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

The Supreme Court today delivered its verdict on the decades-old Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. The Supreme Court judge directed Karnataka to get additional 14.75 thousand million cubic(TMC) water and Tamil Nadu to now get 177.25 TMC water instead of 192 TMC. SC directed Karnataka to release 177.25 TMC of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu from its inter-state Biligundlu dam. Bengaluru will get additional 4.2 TMC water, India's highest court said. There is no change in allocation for Kerala and Puducherry, the court declared. The apex court also allowed Tami Nadu to draw an additional 10 TMC 'groundwater' from a total of 20 TMC beneath the Cauvery basin. It said the increase in share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft is because of the 10 tmcft groundwater and 4.75 tmcft drinking water requirement for Bengaluru residents. The pre-Independence verdict is valid, the top court said in its verdict, adding that no state can claim "exclusivity over rivers." The court said there should be "no deviance" of the order by any state. The Court also directed the Cauvery water dispute management to be set up. The Supreme Court order will remain in force for the next 15 years. Tamil Nadu, represented by senior advocate Shekhar Naphade had urged the court to initiate a “fundamental change” in the water sharing arrangement. The Cauvery water dispute was decided unanimously by CWDT in 2007, after determining the total availability of water in the Cauvery basin at 740 thousand million cubic (tmc) feet at the Lower Coleroon Anicut site, including 14 tmcft for environmental protection.

Supreme Court verdict on Cauvery dispute: Karnataka to get additional water, no change for Kerala

In a landmark verdict today, the Supreme Court has reduced the allocation of the Cauvery Waters for Tamil Nadu from 192 TMC, as allocated by the Cauvery Water Tribunal Award in 2007, to 177.25 TMC annually.&nbsp; This thousand million cubic feet of water is to be released from Billigundulu, the last measuring station in Karnataka on the Cauvery, to Mettur Dam, which is the first measuring station in Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery river. It is a historic judgment.&nbsp;

The judgment is historical on two counts: first, it marks the culmination of the centuries-old inter-state water dispute that has been an epitome of hostile hydropolitics. Second, it sent a signal to the agricultural economy to efficiently use water and practise crop diversification. The principle followed here, though apparently seems like &ldquo;robbing Peter to pay Paul&rdquo; (by reducing 14.75 TMC water for Tamil Nadu and providing the same to Karnataka for its burgeoning urban water use), recognises a bigger global phenomenon of intersectoral water conflicts: agriculture versus urban water demand.&nbsp;

In a 2009 paper co-authored with Jayanta Bandyopadhyay in Water Policy, I argued that around 85% of the waters of the Cauvery basin go for agriculture, with paddy emerging as the most dominant crop in the basin. While the Tamil Nadu delta has been historically cultivating paddy, Karnataka started developing their irrigation potential in the 1960s onwards.&nbsp;

The minimum support prices (MSP) of rice between the 80s and 90s were increasing at a faster rate vis-&agrave;-vis the drier alternative crop, namely, Ragi. Farmers, therefore, were incentivised to shift to water-consuming crop, for instance, from Ragi to paddy. However, the data over the last 10 years reveals that there has been an overall decline in acreage in the basin, and more so in the Karnataka part, in response to a reversal in the MSP movement. But, the traditional sugarcane agriculture in the delta regions still continues.&nbsp;

Who owns the Cauvery water?

There are three extreme principles of water allocation based on divergent definitions of property rights: Harmon, History and Hobbes. The Harmon doctrine states the primary rights of water are bestowed on those who own land at the source of the water. History confers primary rights to historical users of water irrespective of their geographical location. Hobbes identifies rights as the final result of awards obtained through negotiations.&nbsp;

Tamil Nadu, given the long history of water use especially in the delta regions, has been advocating its position in terms of History. While the basin area&#39;s contribution to the river flow should also be an important variable to be taken into consideration, the principle of prescriptive rights given in the 1924 agreement between the Madras Presidency and the Princely State of Mysore also translates to the principle of prior appropriation or the doctrine of history as the basis of property rights definition.

On the other hand, Karnataka has always maintained that a downstream state cannot make a claim when there is a scarcity of water and inadequacy in the upstream areas. At the same time, upstream development should not be compromised because of downstream concerns. This implies that Karnataka has been exercising the Harmon doctrine for its property rights.

The divergent definitions of property rights are amplified by the fact that the subject of water falls in the State list, subject to the provisions of 56 (i) of the Indian Constitution. Even the provisions of the Interstate Water Dispute (ISWD) Act of 1956 and its subsequent amendment in 2002 merely talk of setting up tribunals for adjudications and declaring awards. In view of global standards on water governance, this is insufficient. One can perceive that Hobbesian modes of negotiations are failing. Besides, it has exposed the failings of a state-led, &lsquo;decentralised&rsquo; approach.

Interestingly, much in departure to this existing thinking of water being State subject, thereby, leading to divergent definitions of property rights, the Supreme Court has observed that water of the Cauvery river was a &ldquo;national asset and no single state could claim ownership over it&rdquo;.

A holistic understanding is needed

The verdict, therefore, presents an unprecedented benchmark in Indian water governance by seeking a departure from age-old policies. There are many solutions for managing agricultural water, such as crop-diversification through minimum support price, regime change in favour of drier crops, promoting water-use-efficiency through technical and institutional measures, imports of agricultural crops from water-rich regions, among others. But, the basic human needs should be met first.&nbsp;

However, there is one more thing that remains to be taken care of, i.e. the cause of the ecosystems. The CWT award in 2007 was thoroughly based on reductionist &ldquo;arithmetic hydrology&rdquo;, and not on holistic eco-hydrology. The arithmetic by way of which this 50% dependability of water is arrived at depends on past precedence of estimates conducted by engineers like K.L. Rao.&nbsp;

The CWT seemed to be oblivious to the challenges by possible impacts of global warming and climate change that can result in variability in water availability. That award reserved the &ldquo;quantity &hellip; for environmental protection&rdquo; and &ldquo;quantity determined for inevitable escapages to the sea&rdquo; as 10 TMC and 4 TMC respectively, none of which adhere to any scientific assessment of the ecosystem-based water usages in the basin.&nbsp;

The present verdict does not have the cause of the ecosystem in its scope. But, ecological scientists must advocate for a more scientific approach for the cause of the ecosystems for life in the basin. The resolution mechanism worked out by the Cauvery Water Tribunal has been based on myopic number-games for sharing the waters, without much consideration about the broader institutions, economics, ecology, hydrology, and holistic understanding of the conflicts. There is a need to correct that.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Much in departure to this existing thinking of water being State subject, thereby, leading to divergent definitions of property rights, the Supreme Court has observed that water of the Cauvery river was a “national asset and no single state could claim ownership over it”.

In a landmark verdict today, the Supreme Court has reduced the allocation of the Cauvery Waters for Tamil Nadu from 192 TMC, as allocated by the Cauvery Water Tribunal Award in 2007, to 177.25 TMC annually. This thousand million cubic feet of water is to be released from Billigundulu, the last measuring station in Karnataka on the Cauvery, to Mettur Dam, which is the first measuring station in Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery river. It is a historic judgment. The judgment is historical on two counts: first, it marks the culmination of the centuries-old inter-state water dispute that has been an epitome of hostile hydropolitics. Second, it sent a signal to the agricultural economy to efficiently use water and practise crop diversification. The principle followed here, though apparently seems like “robbing Peter to pay Paul” (by reducing 14.75 TMC water for Tamil Nadu and providing the same to Karnataka for its burgeoning urban water use), recognises a bigger global phenomenon of intersectoral water conflicts: agriculture versus urban water demand. In a 2009 paper co-authored with Jayanta Bandyopadhyay in Water Policy, I argued that around 85% of the waters of the Cauvery basin go for agriculture, with paddy emerging as the most dominant crop in the basin. While the Tamil Nadu delta has been historically cultivating paddy, Karnataka started developing their irrigation potential in the 1960s onwards. The minimum support prices (MSP) of rice between the 80s and 90s were increasing at a faster rate vis-à-vis the drier alternative crop, namely, Ragi. Farmers, therefore, were incentivised to shift to water-consuming crop, for instance, from Ragi to paddy. However, the data over the last 10 years reveals that there has been an overall decline in acreage in the basin, and more so in the Karnataka part, in response to a reversal in the MSP movement. But, the traditional sugarcane agriculture in the delta regions still continues. Who owns the Cauvery water? There are three extreme principles of water allocation based on divergent definitions of property rights: Harmon, History and Hobbes. The Harmon doctrine states the primary rights of water are bestowed on those who own land at the source of the water. History confers primary rights to historical users of water irrespective of their geographical location. Hobbes identifies rights as the final result of awards obtained through negotiations. Tamil Nadu, given the long history of water use especially in the delta regions, has been advocating its position in terms of History. While the basin area's contribution to the river flow should also be an important variable to be taken into consideration, the principle of prescriptive rights given in the 1924 agreement between the Madras Presidency and the Princely State of Mysore also translates to the principle of prior appropriation or the doctrine of history as the basis of property rights definition. On the other hand, Karnataka has always maintained that a downstream state cannot make a claim when there is a scarcity of water and inadequacy in the upstream areas. At the same time, upstream development should not be compromised because of downstream concerns. This implies that Karnataka has been exercising the Harmon doctrine for its property rights. The divergent definitions of property rights are amplified by the fact that the subject of water falls in the State list, subject to the provisions of 56 (i) of the Indian Constitution. Even the provisions of the Interstate Water Dispute (ISWD) Act of 1956 and its subsequent amendment in 2002 merely talk of setting up tribunals for adjudications and declaring awards. In view of global standards on water governance, this is insufficient. One can perceive that Hobbesian modes of negotiations are failing. Besides, it has exposed the failings of a state-led, ‘decentralised’ approach. Interestingly, much in departure to this existing thinking of water being State subject, thereby, leading to divergent definitions of property rights, the Supreme Court has observed that water of the Cauvery river was a “national asset and no single state could claim ownership over it”. A holistic understanding is needed The verdict, therefore, presents an unprecedented benchmark in Indian water governance by seeking a departure from age-old policies. There are many solutions for managing agricultural water, such as crop-diversification through minimum support price, regime change in favour of drier crops, promoting water-use-efficiency through technical and institutional measures, imports of agricultural crops from water-rich regions, among others. But, the basic human needs should be met first. However, there is one more thing that remains to be taken care of, i.e. the cause of the ecosystems. The CWT award in 2007 was thoroughly based on reductionist “arithmetic hydrology”, and not on holistic eco-hydrology. The arithmetic by way of which this 50% dependability of water is arrived at depends on past precedence of estimates conducted by engineers like K.L. Rao. The CWT seemed to be oblivious to the challenges by possible impacts of global warming and climate change that can result in variability in water availability. That award reserved the “quantity … for environmental protection” and “quantity determined for inevitable escapages to the sea” as 10 TMC and 4 TMC respectively, none of which adhere to any scientific assessment of the ecosystem-based water usages in the basin. The present verdict does not have the cause of the ecosystem in its scope. But, ecological scientists must advocate for a more scientific approach for the cause of the ecosystems for life in the basin. The resolution mechanism worked out by the Cauvery Water Tribunal has been based on myopic number-games for sharing the waters, without much consideration about the broader institutions, economics, ecology, hydrology, and holistic understanding of the conflicts. There is a need to correct that. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Cauvery is a national river, no state owns it

The Supreme Court on Tuesday indicated that it would deliver within a month its verdict on the decades old Cauvery water dispute between riparian states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, saying enough confusion has been created on it for over two decades.

The top court said that any forum could touch the matter relating to the Cauvery basin, only after it gave its verdict in four weeks.

A three-judge bench of the apex court had reserved its verdict on the appeals filed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala against the 2007 award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) on sharing of water, after marathon hearing on September 20, 2017.

&quot;Enough of confusion has been there for past two decades. Any forum can touch the matter after the verdict is delivered in the issue. We will give the verdict in four weeks,&quot; a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said.

The court&#39;s remark came during the hearing of a plea filed in 2016 by a citizens&#39; group led by philanthropist Kiran Mazumdar Shaw seeking its intervention for the supply of drinking water to residents of Bengaluru and surrounding districts.

The group under the banner of Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC) in which Shaw is the president and former Infosys director and educationist Mohandas Pai the vice-president, had told the court that citizens of Bengaluru need adequate drinking water and their right to life needed to be protected by the top court.

&quot;That the present application is being filed by the applicant in the aftermath of the violence that took place in the city of Bengaluru, since the applicant is of the belief that there are extraordinary circumstances in the city and its adjoining areas which need to be addressed through the intervention of this Court,&quot; the BPAC plea said.

&quot;There is an acute drinking water problem in the city of Bengaluru and certain other districts of South Karnataka. The annual requirement of Bengaluru city alone is more than 19 TMC of water to be supplied to the citizens by the authorities of the State of Karnataka. The annual drinking water requirements of the Cauvery basin districts including the Bengaluru is roughly about 26 TMC (approximately),&quot; it said.

BPAC, in its plea filed through lawyer Aparna Bhat, said &quot;the southwest monsoon for the year 2016-17 has miserably failed over most parts of Karnataka and especially in the catchment areas of the Cauvery River. The lack of rainfall is also evident by the reservoir levels in the major reservoirs of the Cauvery basin in Karnataka, which have a huge shortfall of inflows, and thereby the drastic decrease in the storage capacities of the respective reservoirs.&quot;

&quot;The approximate live storage of Karnataka&#39;s reservoirs (Harangi, Hemavathi, K.R.S and Kabini) as on 16 September 2016 is only 28.77 TMC as against the total drinking water requirements of Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya and other Cauvery basin districts which is 26 TMC (approximately),&quot; it had said.

If further releases are made to Tamil Nadu, there would not be enough water available in these reservoirs for supply to the citizens of Bengaluru and other towns, it had said.

&quot;This is indeed an alarming situation which requires urgent attention of the relevant authorities, and it is also the need of the hour that the present scenario is brought to the notice of this court,&quot; the plea said.

'Enough of confusion has been there for past two decades. We will give the verdict in four weeks,' a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said

The Supreme Court on Tuesday indicated that it would deliver within a month its verdict on the decades old Cauvery water dispute between riparian states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, saying enough confusion has been created on it for over two decades. The top court said that any forum could touch the matter relating to the Cauvery basin, only after it gave its verdict in four weeks. A three-judge bench of the apex court had reserved its verdict on the appeals filed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala against the 2007 award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) on sharing of water, after marathon hearing on September 20, 2017. "Enough of confusion has been there for past two decades. Any forum can touch the matter after the verdict is delivered in the issue. We will give the verdict in four weeks," a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud said. The court's remark came during the hearing of a plea filed in 2016 by a citizens' group led by philanthropist Kiran Mazumdar Shaw seeking its intervention for the supply of drinking water to residents of Bengaluru and surrounding districts. The group under the banner of Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC) in which Shaw is the president and former Infosys director and educationist Mohandas Pai the vice-president, had told the court that citizens of Bengaluru need adequate drinking water and their right to life needed to be protected by the top court. "That the present application is being filed by the applicant in the aftermath of the violence that took place in the city of Bengaluru, since the applicant is of the belief that there are extraordinary circumstances in the city and its adjoining areas which need to be addressed through the intervention of this Court," the BPAC plea said. "There is an acute drinking water problem in the city of Bengaluru and certain other districts of South Karnataka. The annual requirement of Bengaluru city alone is more than 19 TMC of water to be supplied to the citizens by the authorities of the State of Karnataka. The annual drinking water requirements of the Cauvery basin districts including the Bengaluru is roughly about 26 TMC (approximately)," it said. BPAC, in its plea filed through lawyer Aparna Bhat, said "the southwest monsoon for the year 2016-17 has miserably failed over most parts of Karnataka and especially in the catchment areas of the Cauvery River. The lack of rainfall is also evident by the reservoir levels in the major reservoirs of the Cauvery basin in Karnataka, which have a huge shortfall of inflows, and thereby the drastic decrease in the storage capacities of the respective reservoirs." "The approximate live storage of Karnataka's reservoirs (Harangi, Hemavathi, K.R.S and Kabini) as on 16 September 2016 is only 28.77 TMC as against the total drinking water requirements of Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya and other Cauvery basin districts which is 26 TMC (approximately)," it had said. If further releases are made to Tamil Nadu, there would not be enough water available in these reservoirs for supply to the citizens of Bengaluru and other towns, it had said. "This is indeed an alarming situation which requires urgent attention of the relevant authorities, and it is also the need of the hour that the present scenario is brought to the notice of this court," the plea said.

Enough confusion for over two decades, Cauvery verdict in 4 weeks: Supreme Court

Oracle&nbsp;employees were at work on Monday when protesters entered their nine-storey building in India&#39;s technology hub, Bengaluru, and asked them to leave in support of demonstrations that had erupted across the city over a water dispute. 
 
By early afternoon, one of the US software giant&#39;s biggest overseas offices had been evacuated, two employees there told Reuters, as had the Bengaluru premises of dozens of multinationals and Indian firms that stayed shut on Tuesday to ensure staff safety. 
 
A spokeswoman for Oracle in India said no one was available to comment on the incident. 
 
Two days of violence, in which protesters torched buses and clashed with riot police after a court ordered Karnataka state to share water from a river with another region, have exposed the growing pains of the dynamic technology hub&#39;s chaotic boom. 
 
&quot;They come and live here, which means our resources are being used by them. Tomorrow, if there is no water in the city, will they have an office here?&quot; said 30-year-old local activist Keerthi Shankaraghatta, who led a group that staged peaceful calls to shut down several offices during the protests.&nbsp; 
 
Videos posted on his Facebook page show employees from companies including Accenture&nbsp;and ICICI Bank&nbsp;being escorted out of their offices. 
ICICI declined to comment. Accenture did not respond to a request for comment. 
 
Bengaluru businesses have faced four days of disruption this month after the water protests and an unrelated strike, hitting operations in a city that accounts for a significant chunk of India&#39;s $97 billion in information technology exports. 
 
The head of Indian drugmaker Biocon&nbsp;jokingly referred to Bengaluru as &quot;Bandhaluru&quot;, using the Hindi word &quot;Bandh&quot; for closed. 
 
Employees of two large Indian companies told Reuters their buses were stopped and rocked by protesters, who asked them to join the demonstrations. 
 
Cars and trucks registered in Tamil Nadu were smashed and set on fire. A 22-year-old IT worker, who declined to be identified, said she saw a police van in flames. 
 
&quot;For the first time, I felt unsafe in a city I love so much,&quot; said Prejin Joe, who runs a tech startup in Bengaluru and is originally from Kerala. 
 
&quot;Never give up&quot; 
Despite such experiences, and images of burning buses and trucks broadcast by Indian TV news channels, employers said the spasm of violence, in which two people were killed, had done no major damage to the appeal of the southern city. 
 
Several big employers contacted by Reuters said the violence had not changed their view of the city as an attractive place to be based. None was prepared to be quoted. 
 
Yet major infrastructure problems like congestion and poor water management, if not adequately addressed, may over time blunt Bengaluru&#39;s edge over other dynamic commercial centres in India and beyond. 
 
From a sleepy retirement centre known as &quot;Garden City&quot; in the 1990s, Bengaluru, or Bangalore, has grown to become a sprawling metropolis of 10 million that is home to major offices of firms such as Amazon.com&nbsp;, Dell and local giant Wipro&nbsp;. 
 
To some, Bengaluru&#39;s rise mirrors India&#39;s economic progress over the past two decades, with business parks staffed with thousands of young, English-speaking graduates lured by the city&#39;s cosmopolitan feel and well-paid office jobs. 
 
But the growth has come at a cost. Streets are gridlocked, property prices have jumped and lakes and open spaces concreted over. Many locals like Shankaraghatta are angry at the pressure new inhabitants put on resources. 
 
&quot;Bangalore definitely has its challenges in terms of traffic, water and infrastructure. The government has got a lot to do in terms of urban planning, but this city has a never-give-up attitude,&quot; said Ryan Fernando, head of a Bengaluru-based chain of nutrition clinics. 
 
400 million more city dwellers&nbsp; 
 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has grand designs to build 100 futuristic &#39;smart&#39; cities that promise a hygienic, networked life for residents, but India&#39;s existing urban spaces lack efficient public transport and sanitation. 
 
In Chennai, poor urban planning and rampant &quot;encroachment&quot; by property developers were blamed for exacerbating deadly floods last December. 
 
With India&#39;s cities forecast to absorb 400 million more people within a generation, experts worry the hassles of doing business could eventually outweigh the cost advantages that brought so many companies to Bengaluru. 
 
Cities like Hyderabad, are rushing to offer tax incentives and tout newer infrastructure to lure big employers away from crowded Bengaluru. Facebook&nbsp;, Uber [UBER.UL] and Google have large offices in Hyderabad. 
 
But for now the advantages Bengaluru enjoys, with its unrivalled pool of skilled software engineers and swanky business parks, make it the city of choice for most large firms. 
 
Companies leased out top grade office space of more than 7 million square feet in Bengaluru in the first nine months of 2015, double 2013 levels and more than any other Indian city, according to property consultancy Cushman and Wakefield data. 
 
Hyderabad also leased out double the amount of prime commercial space in 2015 from two years earlier, but at the lower level of over 2 million square feet, the data showed. 
 
&quot;What has happened has been blown out of proportion. Bengaluru&#39;s mojo has not gone,&quot; said Shailesh Pathak, executive director at Bhartiya Group, which runs an integrated residential, business and commercial township in Bengaluru. 
 
&quot;People will certainly diversify to Hyderabad, Chennai, the Delhi National Capital Region and Pune - as they are already doing. But Bengaluru remains head and shoulders above all other megacities.&quot; 
 
(Reuters) 
 
 
&nbsp;

Indian cities forecasted to absorb 400 mn more people within a generation, hassles might outweigh cost advantages that attracted companies

Oracle employees were at work on Monday when protesters entered their nine-storey building in India's technology hub, Bengaluru, and asked them to leave in support of demonstrations that had erupted across the city over a water dispute. By early afternoon, one of the US software giant's biggest overseas offices had been evacuated, two employees there told Reuters, as had the Bengaluru premises of dozens of multinationals and Indian firms that stayed shut on Tuesday to ensure staff safety. A spokeswoman for Oracle in India said no one was available to comment on the incident. Two days of violence, in which protesters torched buses and clashed with riot police after a court ordered Karnataka state to share water from a river with another region, have exposed the growing pains of the dynamic technology hub's chaotic boom. "They come and live here, which means our resources are being used by them. Tomorrow, if there is no water in the city, will they have an office here?" said 30-year-old local activist Keerthi Shankaraghatta, who led a group that staged peaceful calls to shut down several offices during the protests. Videos posted on his Facebook page show employees from companies including Accenture and ICICI Bank being escorted out of their offices. ICICI declined to comment. Accenture did not respond to a request for comment. Bengaluru businesses have faced four days of disruption this month after the water protests and an unrelated strike, hitting operations in a city that accounts for a significant chunk of India's $97 billion in information technology exports. The head of Indian drugmaker Biocon jokingly referred to Bengaluru as "Bandhaluru", using the Hindi word "Bandh" for closed. Employees of two large Indian companies told Reuters their buses were stopped and rocked by protesters, who asked them to join the demonstrations. Cars and trucks registered in Tamil Nadu were smashed and set on fire. A 22-year-old IT worker, who declined to be identified, said she saw a police van in flames. "For the first time, I felt unsafe in a city I love so much," said Prejin Joe, who runs a tech startup in Bengaluru and is originally from Kerala. "Never give up" Despite such experiences, and images of burning buses and trucks broadcast by Indian TV news channels, employers said the spasm of violence, in which two people were killed, had done no major damage to the appeal of the southern city. Several big employers contacted by Reuters said the violence had not changed their view of the city as an attractive place to be based. None was prepared to be quoted. Yet major infrastructure problems like congestion and poor water management, if not adequately addressed, may over time blunt Bengaluru's edge over other dynamic commercial centres in India and beyond. From a sleepy retirement centre known as "Garden City" in the 1990s, Bengaluru, or Bangalore, has grown to become a sprawling metropolis of 10 million that is home to major offices of firms such as Amazon.com , Dell and local giant Wipro . To some, Bengaluru's rise mirrors India's economic progress over the past two decades, with business parks staffed with thousands of young, English-speaking graduates lured by the city's cosmopolitan feel and well-paid office jobs. But the growth has come at a cost. Streets are gridlocked, property prices have jumped and lakes and open spaces concreted over. Many locals like Shankaraghatta are angry at the pressure new inhabitants put on resources. "Bangalore definitely has its challenges in terms of traffic, water and infrastructure. The government has got a lot to do in terms of urban planning, but this city has a never-give-up attitude," said Ryan Fernando, head of a Bengaluru-based chain of nutrition clinics. 400 million more city dwellers Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has grand designs to build 100 futuristic 'smart' cities that promise a hygienic, networked life for residents, but India's existing urban spaces lack efficient public transport and sanitation. In Chennai, poor urban planning and rampant "encroachment" by property developers were blamed for exacerbating deadly floods last December. With India's cities forecast to absorb 400 million more people within a generation, experts worry the hassles of doing business could eventually outweigh the cost advantages that brought so many companies to Bengaluru. Cities like Hyderabad, are rushing to offer tax incentives and tout newer infrastructure to lure big employers away from crowded Bengaluru. Facebook , Uber [UBER.UL] and Google have large offices in Hyderabad. But for now the advantages Bengaluru enjoys, with its unrivalled pool of skilled software engineers and swanky business parks, make it the city of choice for most large firms. Companies leased out top grade office space of more than 7 million square feet in Bengaluru in the first nine months of 2015, double 2013 levels and more than any other Indian city, according to property consultancy Cushman and Wakefield data. Hyderabad also leased out double the amount of prime commercial space in 2015 from two years earlier, but at the lower level of over 2 million square feet, the data showed. "What has happened has been blown out of proportion. Bengaluru's mojo has not gone," said Shailesh Pathak, executive director at Bhartiya Group, which runs an integrated residential, business and commercial township in Bengaluru. "People will certainly diversify to Hyderabad, Chennai, the Delhi National Capital Region and Pune - as they are already doing. But Bengaluru remains head and shoulders above all other megacities." (Reuters)

Water protests in Bengaluru expose urban India's growing pains

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