Karnataka defies SC, CMC; stops releasing Cauvery water

The Supreme Court today made it clear that it will not interfere with the Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC) order directing Karnataka to provide 12 trillion cubic feet (tmc) of Cauvery river water during December, even as Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar announced that the state had stopped releasing any water to its downstream neighbour since Sunday evening.

A bench of justices D K Jain and Madan B Lokur turned down the contention of Tamil Nadu that the report is factually wrong and the court should interfere in the matter to direct Karnataka to release more water.

''They (members of CMC) are experts and we should not comment on it. If you are not happy with the report then do what you want to do for getting remedy?'' the bench asked.

Neither state is satisfied with the CMC award – while Tamil Nadu wants more water, Karnataka does not want to give it any at all.

''It seems that both sides are not satisfied by the direction issued by the CMC. We leave it for the parties to work it out in accordance with law,'' the bench said in its order on the politically emotive issue.

The bench posted further hearing on the matter for 14 January after noting that the order of the CMC is for the month of December – indicating that both states should comply with it till the end of the month.