The Cauvery Monitoring Committee today asked Karnataka to provide Tamil Nadu with 12 TMC of Cauvery water during December even as it asked both the states to be more efficient in using available water.

The meeting of the Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC) came after the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the

multi-state panel to meet within the next two days to decide water requirement of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Kerala and Pudducherry are the other two member states of CMC which is headed by Union Secretary, Water Resources.

The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking launch of contempt of court proceeding against Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and others for allegedly defying the court's order to supply 9,000 cusecs of water from the Cauvery river to the state.

In its application filed through counsel Umapathi Ganesh, Tamil Nadu contended that Karnataka has deliberately violated the apex court's September 28 directive to supply water to the state and hence has committed wilful contempt of the court.

Tamil Nadu said despite the apex court's order, Karnataka has stopped the water supply, pushing the state to a further distressed situation.

On the last date of hearing, Karnataka counsel Fali S

Nariman had told the court that the state will not be able to release any more water. 

The apex court's September 28 order had come after the CRA meeting of September 19 had failed to produce a solution as both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had rejected the award of 9,000 cusecs of water by the PM-headed panel to save the standing crops in the delta region

A Central team today held discussions with the Tamil Nadu government and said it would submit a report to the Centre in four days. The team members today held discussions with the State Chief Secretary Mr. Debendranath Sarangi .The team is led by Union Water Resources Secretary Mr. D. V. Singh. Issues regarding reservoir levels and status of standing crops dependent on Cauvery water were taken up at the meeting. The team is also scheduled to visit Karnataka .

Meanwhile, protests were also witnessed in Tiruvarur and Tiruchi demanding the release of 2 tmc ft water to Tamilnadu.

 The Prime Minister yesterday chaired a meeting of the Cauvery River Authority, CRA, in New Delhi to discuss the demand made by Tamil Nadu for releasing more water of the river by Karnataka. There was no concesus in the meeting as both states refused to accept the ruling. Dr Manmohan Singh has asked Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu from the 21st of this month upto the 15th of next month. Talking to reporters after the meeting Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said that the Prime Minister has appeal to the concerned States to reach an acceptable solution.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said that the present formula as announced by the Prime Minister is not acceptable to her state and her government will move the Supreme Court to seek justice on the Cauvery Water issue.

Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar refused to accept Prime Minister's ruling to release water for Tamil Nadu.Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy and Kerala Water Resources Minister P.J. Joseph were also present in the meeting.

 An all-party meeting convened by Karnataka government today resolved to urge the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to evolve a distress formula based on ground realities on sharing of the river waters with Tamil Nadu and other riparian states. Speaking to reporters later, Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar said, a consensus to this effect was reached at a meeting of
floor leaders of political parties in the state legislature.

The CRA meeting will be held on September 19th in New Delhi.
He said the state would explain at the CRA meeting the prevailing drought condition, inadequate rainfall and drinking water problems in Karnataka. Mr Shettar would hold another round of floor leaders' meeting on September 15th before attending the CRA meeting. Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Karnataka's consistent stand from 2002 had been that the distress formula should be based on ground realities.

In a goodwill gesture, Karnataka government agreed before the Supreme Court last week to release 10,000 cusecs of water from Cauvery river to Tamil Nadu till September 20.

Leader of the Opposition Congress in the assembly Mr Siddaramaiah said the opposition leaders requested the chief
minister to strongly put forth before the CRA that Karnataka was not in a position to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu because of the prevailing drought condition and drinking water
problems.

n Karnataka, the Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said that Karnataka has fulfilled the requirements of Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal order of 2007. In a written reply in Assembly on Monday, Bommai pointed out that the State has released 192 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu according to the Tribunal order. He added despite this the Tamil Nadu’s approached Supreme Court, seeking stay on usage of water by Karnataka from February to May. 

This, he said is unfair and unwarranted and informed the House that 226 TMC of water were released to Tamil Nadu upto 21st March this year. The leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Siddaramaiah pointed out that state farmers are anxious due to the petition filed by Tamil Nadu. He highlighted the need to tackle the issue politically and legally and asked the Government to give fitting reply to Tamil Nadu