New Delhi: The Supreme Court on September 13 sought details from the Centre about the quantum of water released by Karnataka to Tamil Nadu after its order on September 3 and the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) decision on September 8.

A three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice B N Kirpal, Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice Arijit Pasayat directed the additional solicitor general Mukul Rohatagi to furnish the details by September 23.

The court was hearing a petition by Tamil Nadu government alleging that the directions of the court and the CRA had not been fully complied by the Karnataka government.

Senior advocate K K Venugopal appearing for the Tamil Nadu government said that not even half the quantum of water as directed by the court and the CRA had reached the Mettur reservoir till September 12.

Giving details about the quantum of water released by Karnataka, Venugopal said Karnataka has so far released about 2.9 TMC ft of water while as per Court order and the CRA decision it should have received 9.45 TMC ft of water.

He said Tamil Nadu should have received 6.25 TMC ft of water as per the Supreme Court order between September 4 and 8 and another 3.20 TMC ft of water as per the CRA decision between September 9 and 12.

Tamil Nadu had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking quashing of a decision of the CRA allocating it 0.8 TMC ft Cauvery water and requested the restoration of an earlier Apex Court directive for release of 1.25 TMC ft water to Mettur reservoir.

The petition said the interim direction of the Supreme Court to the Karnataka government to release 1.25 TMC ft water everyday to the Mettur reservoir should be restored till October to save the Samba crops, cultivation of which had begun.

It sought setting aside of the September 8 decision of CRA decision to slash the quantum of Cauvery water release from Karnataka to 9,000 CUSECS (0.8 TMC ft) per day as against the Apex Court directive for a release of 1.25 TMC ft of water.

PTI