This is the second time Jayalalithaa is resorting to a fast on the Cauvery issue.
Some demonstrations have been held in parts of the state but the overall situation is peaceful.
The mind-boggling figure is spent in the legal battle seeking rights over the river before the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in New Delhi.
Today, with the Lok Sabha polls only months away, any inter-state dispute over the Cauvery water dispute has the potential to take more political turns than otherwise, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy.
Supreme Court dismisses a plea for reconstitution of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and paves the way for the proposed visit of two of its members to the river basin.
The top court directed the Secretary of the Union water resources ministry to personally appear before it on May 14 with a draft of the Cauvery management scheme to implement its verdict on water sharing between four states including Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
For the second time in her political career, Jayalalithaa, along with her supporters, would observe fast in front of Valluvar Kottam, a memorial for Tamil saint-poet Tiruvalluvar in the heart of Chennai.
With the Cauvery water sharing row escalating, the Tamil Nadu government on Friday made it clear that it would not allow construction of a new dam by Karnataka at Mekedhatu across the river under "any circumstances."
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to give an urgent hearing to a plea of the Tamil Nadu government for setting up the Cauvery management board for implementation of the Cauvery water disputes tribunal award, saying there is "no urgency" for it.
'According to politicians, farmers are the fourth grade citizens of India.' 'We farmers could meet the prime minister and ministers during Congress rule.' 'But none of the BJP ministers want to even meet us.' 'The prime minister has time only for foreigners, but has no time to meet us farmers.'
"We understand Tamil Nadu's difficulty of not getting water. We will resolve the issue," the bench said.
Karnataka was on Tuesday directed to release 2,000 cusecs Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu from October 7 to 18 by the Supreme Court.
Siddaramaiah appealed to public to maintain peace, while assuring that the government 'is committed' to protect the interest of the state and its people and farmers.
The petition stated that the proposed project would affect the flow of the river Cauvery considerably and will severely affect the irrigation in Cauvery basin of Tamil Nadu.
Verifiable 'distress-sharing' of available water may still be the way out of the Cauvery water row, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
The SC ruled that Karnataka will now have an enhanced share of 14.75 tmcft water per year while Tamil Nadu will get 404.25 tmcft, which will be 14.75 tmcft less than what was allotted by the tribunal in 2007.
He however said: "Several advantageous features for Tamil Nadu find place in the verdict."
Taking strong exception to the Kerala government's plan to construct a dam across the Siruvani river at Attapadi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday asked the Centre not to accord it technical clearance as it "violates" the final order of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal
Jayalalithaa, recuperating at a corporate hospital in Chennai, said she could not attend the meeting as she was hospitalised.
A three-day bandh called by Karnataka against the interim award in 1991 witnessed unprecedented violence and destruction of properties, danger to lives and liberties and masses fleeing from Bangalore and other adjoining towns
If the Cauvery water-sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu -- dating back to 1892 between the erstwhile Madras Presidency under the British Raj and the princely Mysore state -- has exploded again into a war, the discord between Karnataka and Goa over dividing the water of the Mahadayi river simmers under the surface.
The SC also directed the Centre to constitute a Cauvery management board within four weeks.
The Centre is playing politics and is more worried about its poll prospects in Karnataka than following the apex court order, says lawyers representing Tamil Nadu.
The Cauvery Supervisory Committee had on September 19 asked Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs per day but the Apex Court had on September 20 doubled the quantum.
The actor also said that the Centre will face TN wrath if it fails to set up CMB.
The recent 'revelation' by TN fishers freed by Sri Lanka after they had paid up Lankan rupees 50,000 each in fines, that their hair was tonsured in prison and they were forced to remove their garments other than the underpants, and were also made to clean toilets, as if with vengeance, has touched a raw nerve this time, just as another issue or issues had done it ahead of the Jallikattu protests, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
In the final award, Tamil Nadu will get 217 tmc ft of water -- 192 tmc ft from Biligundulu and 25 tmc ft for envrionmental purposes between Biligundulu and Mettur.
Considering that the Supreme Court has now included two, rather three, new variable to the tribunal's findings, it could imply that whenever the current order comes in for review, the two states could raise specific issues flowing from them, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
N Sathiya Moorthy explains how the recent floods may complicate the Cauvery issue among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala
Despite day-long discussions, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu failed to reach an agreement on the quantum of water to be released.
One incident of protesters burning yellow jerseys, the attire of Chennai Super Kings players, was witnessed.
Kerala, Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are facing a severe drought this year, affecting livelihoods as well as lives.
"The cricket board has been apprised of our sentiments," Fisheries minister D Jayakumar said.
Maintaining that the situation is peaceful, police said stringent action would be taken against miscreants or vandals.
A possible, easier and less-complicated way for the Centre would have been to approach the SC with the same queries much earlier, before a ground-swell of popular sentiments and consequent political tensions had built up in Tamil Nadu, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
Over a month at the helm, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said he was working towards "visible changes" in administration and asked his ministers to be honest enough to have the "moral courage."
It is necessary that distress is shared equitably so that no specific region suffers excessively, " Dr Singh said.
Today, with the 'Cauvery row' in full flow, the DMK has managed to wrest the 'pan-Tamil initiative' for the Dravidian polity as a whole. What more, the DMK has also stolen much of the 'Tamil thunder' that had belonged to peripheral pan-Tamil groups over the Jallikattu protests in January 2017, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
Facing the opposition benches, it is the 11th portrait to adorn the House.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said action will be taken in accordance with law, as he hit out at Congress leaders for going ahead with padayatra (march), demanding implementation of the Mekedatu project across the Cauvery river, by violating government's COVID-19 restrictions.
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