New Delhi: The Centre on July 30 announced that the Cauvery monitoring committee (CMC) would meet in a week's time to decide on the distress sharing formula of river waters between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in times of drought.

Water Resources Minister Arjun Charan Sethi said in Rajya Sabha that Tamil Nadu has given its comments on Karnataka government's formula to share cauvery water during distress period.

"The next meeting of CMC will discuss the suggestions. The meeting should take place within a week or so," he said replying to a call attention on the sharing of river water.

The centre would make every effort to resolve the water dispute amicably through dialogue between the stakeholders and use of Article 355, giving it the power to take in its hand distribution which, otherwise, was a state subject, the Minister said.

"This (use of Article 355) is certainly an extreme step. We are in favour of resolving the issue amicably," he said.

Amidst repeated interruptions from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Congress members from Karnataka, Sethi said the Centre was finding it difficult to adjudicate on the issue, as states were not submitting usage reports of river water.

As per the ruling of Cauvery Dispute Tribunal, Karnataka has to release 205 tmc of water every year to Tamil Nadu. In abnormal year, like the severe drought situation in the state during the last two years, distress has to be shared on pro-rata basis.

"The pro-rata sharing of distress will be discussed at the CMC meeting," the Minister said.

He also announced that the second tribunal for Krishna water dispute would be constituted within a month.

PTI