Karnataka relieved as Apex court admits Cauvery petition

The Karnataka Government breathed a sigh of relief as the Supreme Court admitted its special leave petition challenging the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

According to information reaching here, a division bench of the Supreme Court admitted Karnataka’s petition and posted it before a larger bench, which will also hear the special leave petitions filed by Tamil Nadu and Kerala. A larger bench to look into the petitions filed by the three South Indian states over the Cauvery dispute will be constituted by Chief Justice.

After admitting Karnataka’s petition, the Apex court has issued notices to the Federal Government, besides the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pondicherry.

“It is our first victory against the Tribunal’s order”, Karnataka’s Irrigation Minister K S Eshwarappa said reacting to the admission of its special leave petition by the Supreme Court. “We will fight the case before the Supreme Court as well as the Tribunal”, he said.

Legal experts point out that the admission of the special leave petition by the Supreme Court was a source of major relief for Karnataka, which is not too hopeful of finding any respite from the Tribunal before which it has also filed a clarificatory petition.

Legal experts also point out focus of Cauvery dispute will now shift to the Supreme Court, which can modify the order if it is convinced about Karnataka’s case.
Admitting Karnataka’s petition, Justice Markandeya Katju observed that the Cauvery dispute was a not a legal problem, but a scientific problem. With such a large coastline in Tamil Nadu, the Government with the help of scientists and technologists should evolve methods to use sea water by desalinating it and making it potable