Tamil Nadu may approach Supreme Court seeking greater powers for Cauvery Water Management Authority

CHENNAI Frustrated that the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) does not have the power to enforce its orders, Tamil Nadu is contemplating approaching the Supreme Court with a prayer that the Authority be given teeth. It wants the Authority to be modelled along the lines of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), a case of which has been mentioned in the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s report (Volume V). Established in October 1967, the BBMB is engaged in the regulation of the supply of water and electricity from Bhakra Nangal and Beas projects to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, and Chandigarh.

The CWMA chairperson Saumitra Kumar Haldar, too, in an interaction with The Hindu in August, referred to the Tribunal’s recommendation and explained that the Board, with the chief being appointed by the Union government, “owns, operates, manages, and regulates” the projects. “They [the BBMB] take joint decisions regarding how much water is to be given and what the scheduling will be. Everything is planned,” Mr.

Haldar had said.