The former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Monday urged the Centre not to notify the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) till State’s Special Leave Petition (SLP), challenging the award was disposed of by the Supreme Court.
The Janata Dal (Secular) supremo was responding to the statement of Chairperson of the Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC) and Water Resources Secretary D.V. Singh, that the Union Government would notify the final award of CWDT announced in 2007 by end of December.
In its final award, the CWDT allocated 419 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu as against a demand of 562 tmcft and 270 tmcft of water to Karnataka as against a demand of 465 tmcft. Kerala and Puducherry were allocated 30 tmcft and 7 tmcft respectively and 10 tmcft had been reserved for environment protection purpose.
‘Take a stand’
Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Gowda appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh take a stand on notification of final award of CWDT on the lines of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT).
The Centre had waited till Supreme Court disposed of SLP filed by the State government in case of notifying the KWDT verdict.
Similarly, the final award of the Beas and Rabi Water Disputes Tribunal (BRWDT) had not been notified as an SLP was pending in Supreme Court.
“The Centre should follow the precedent and wait till Supreme Court clears the case,” he said.
All-party team
Welcoming the decision of Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar to take all-party delegation to meet Mr. Singh, Union Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat and Union Law Minister Ashwini Kumar to impress upon them against notifying the award, Mr. Gowda said the Janata Dal (Secular) would extend every support to Mr. Shettar in the endeavour.
Mr. Gowda said notification of the award in the present form would have an impact on the drinking water for two-third area of Bangalore City, besides, Kolar, Tumkur and Chickballapur districts.
Raising the issue
Regretting that his attempts to raise the Cauvery issue in Parliament were foiled by members from Tamil Nadu, he asked: “What can I do with the support of three members of my party?” However, he would make efforts to meet Mr. Singh, Mr. Harish Rawat and Ashwini Kumar and prevail upon them against notifying the award, he said.
