Adhering to the Supreme Court's verdict given on February 16, 2018, the central government of India has constituted Cauvery Water Management Authority (CMA) to address the dispute over sharing of river water among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.
- Ministry of Water Resources notified that a scheme was framed constituting the CMA and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee to give effect to the decision of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal as modified by the Supreme Court order.
- CMA has been created as per the Cauvery Management Scheme earlier framed by Centre and approved by Supreme Court.
Constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Authority
As per the official notification, the authority will comprise of
(i) a chairman
(ii) two whole time members appointed by centre
(iii) part-time members appointed by four states
(iv) secretary
Responsibilities of the Authority
- Exercising power and discharge such duty for 'sufficient and expedient for securing compliance and implementation' of the Supreme Court order in relation to 'storage, apportionment, regulation and control of Cauvery waters'.
- Seeking help from the central government if it finds any government of the party states, namely Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Union territory of Puducherry do not cooperate in implementing the decision or direction of the tribunal,
- Taking action against any delay or shortfall is caused in the release of water on account of default of any party state
- Supervising operation of reservoirs and with the h regulation of water releases
- Supervising at the regulated release of water by Karnataka
- Determining the total residual storage in reservoirs at the beginning of the water year (June 1 each year)
- Advising the states to take suitable measures to improve water use efficiency, by way of promoting micro-irrigation (drip and sprinkler), change in cropping pattern, improved agronomic practices, system deficiency correction and command area development.
- Preparing an annual report covering the activities of the authority for the preceding year
- Meeting once in 10 days during the months of June and October when the south-west and north-east monsoon set in and again after the monsoon has set in
- The Centre will initially contribute a sum of Rs 2 crore for the functioning of the authority.
