Kerala to move SC on Cauvery issue

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April 19, 2007 23:34 IST

The Kerala government on Thursday decided to move the Supreme Court and also file a clarification petition before the Cauvery tribunal in protest against its decision.

Kerala is not satisfied with the share of water allocated to Kerala by the tribunal.

Addressing a press conference after a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, Water Resources Minister N K Preamchandran said the award did not do justice to the genuine interest of Kerala.

The state had been allocated only 30 tmcft water against its total contribution of 147 tmcft to the Cauvery system, he said. The drastic short fall would seriously affect the state's Banasurasagar hydro electric project implemented at a cost of Rs.365 crores, he said.

The state's assessment was that the tribunal did not make it clear how to share the excess water in Cauvery basin among the riparian states, he said. The award did not even mention the Mukali project that the Supreme Court had referred to the tribunal, he said.

The meeting decided to formulate projects to utilise the 30 tmcft water allocated by the tribunal, he said.

A special cell with officials from Irrigation, Kerala State Electricity Board, Water Resources and agriculture departments would be constituted within a month to prepare projects, he added.

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