‘No legal basis to Tamil Nadu’s application on Kaveri water,' Karnataka govt in its affidavit to Supreme court

In the affidavit, the Karnataka government said that it is not possible to release the amount of water that Tamil Nadu government mentioned in the application.

Karnataka government on Thursday filed an affidavit before the Supreme court on the ongoing dispute with Tamil Nadu government over the sharing of Kaveri water. In the affidavit, the Karnataka government said that it is not possible to release the amount of water that Tamil Nadu government mentioned in the application.

‘No legal basis to TN’s plea': Karnataka govt in its affidavit to SC on Kaveri.

The Karnataka government also stressed that the state did not receive normal rainfall this year, as it saw deficit rains which required more water for its farmers. Tamil Nadu approached the apex court earlier saying that the state needs 24,000 cusecs of water per day from the reservoirs in Karnataka. In a response to Tamil Nadu’s claim, the Karnataka government in an affidavit said that the former’s application does not hold any legal basis.

“Tamil Nadu's application for Karnataka to ensure the release of 36.76 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) stipulated for September 2023 has no legal basis, since the said quantity is stipulated in a normal rainwater year and this rainwater year was a distressed one till now, so it is not applicable,” said Karnataka in the affidavit to the apex court.

Chief Justice of India CY Chandrachud recently constituted a bench to hear the pleas of both governments. The Tamil Nadu government sought fresh directions from the apex court in the water-sharing agreement and filed a new application. On Saturday, The Karnataka cabinet directed the advocate general to file the state's appeal before the Supreme Court regarding the release of Kaveri river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu.