Cauvery water row
Supreme Court expected to pronounce its final verdict on the Cauvery water issue on FridayCreative Commons
  • BJP leader Jagdish Shettar is happy with the verdict. 
  • Pro-Kannada organisations are celebrating near the Karnataka border and even distributing sweets, News18 reported. 
  • "There are more than 24 lakh acres of land under cultivation in Tamil Nadu. I don't know how the Supreme Court has taken the decision. I am in a total state of shock," Elangovan said. 
  • DMK MP TKS Elangovan has blamed AIADMK for the verdict. 
  • Bengaluru is a growing city, hence more water is needed. Without reading the complete judgment, we cannot come to a conclusion. The Supreme Court has kept in mind the need of Bengaluru city. This judgment is satisfactory," News18 quoted Congress leader, Mallikarjun Kharge, as saying. 
  • It has said that it will study the decision and take steps accordingly. 
  • Tamil Nadu has said that it is "disappointed" with the verdict. 
  • The water share for Kerala and Puducherry have remained unchanged.
  • The Cauvery verdict will now remain in force for 15 years. The Supreme Court will then monitor the situation, reported News18. 
  • Karnataka, in fact, wanted the Supreme Court to bring down Tamil Nadu's share to 100 tmc but said that it is happy with the verdict. 
  • "Our allocation has been substantially enhanced, and we will get an additional 14 TMC of water. Bengaluru city, which was facing water shortage, alone will get an additional 4.7 TMC water," Brijesh Kalappa, a Supreme Court advocate, said. 
  • "The fact and the truth remains that Karnataka has been affected. We expect some relief to the state. We have asked the court to reduce it from 192 tmc to 100-102 tmc of water. We will see what the Supreme Court decides," Patil had earlier told reporters, according to the Indian Express.
  • No deviance shall be shown by any state: Supreme Court
  • No state can claim ownership on a river: SC
  • Tamil Nadu to get 177.2 tmc instead of 192 tmc 
  • Karnataka to get additional 14.75 tmc of water 
  • The Cauvery verdict is being read out by Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra.
  • The three judges have also arrived at the court 
  • Lawyers representing both the states have arrived at the Supreme Court
  • Karnataka has stopped its bus services to Tamil Nadu
  • Security has also been tightened in several places in Tamil Nadu and areas that are on the border.
  • About 15,000 policemen reportedly deployed in Bengaluru 
  • Security in place in Mandya 

The Supreme Court is expected to give its final verdict on the decades-long Cauvery water issue on Friday, February 16, and the states of Tamil Nadu, as well as Karnataka, hope that the verdict will bring them justice and relief.

A Special Bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, will pronounce the verdict on Karnataka's Special Leave Petition against the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's grant as per which the Cauvery water must be shared between Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.

As per the order, the total amount of water in the Cauvery basin estimated at 740 thousand million cubic feet needed to be shared by Tamil Nadu – 419 tmc, Karnataka – 270 tmc, Kerala – 30 tmc and Puducherry – 7 tmc, reported News18. 

Karnataka believes that the state needs as much water as Tamil Nadu and hence a new way to share this water must be devised.

Even though Karnataka and Tamil Nadu hope that the verdict will be in their favour, the states are also preparing for a situation where they might be disappointed. Karnataka home minister Ramalinga Reddy said he hopes the verdict will be in Karnataka's favour, but also added that the state is prepared for the worst and beefing up security.

"However, as we cannot take any chances we have put in place adequate security arrangements in Mysuru, Mandya and Bengaluru districts," Hindustan Times quoted Reddy as saying.

Karnataka irrigation minister MB Patil said that a part of Cauvery water must be allocated to Bengaluru for drinking purpose and for this about 50 tmcft of water has to be reduced from Tamil Nadu's share. "We hope the verdict will be in our favour. We have argued that the Cauvery tribunal's award should be set aside as it was based on pre-Independence agreements between the Maharaja of Mysore and the British," Patil added.

Twitter too is abuzz with the issue and several users have expressed concerns over the security arrangements in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. 

 The state of Karnataka, in September 2016, witnessed massive violence after the apex court asked it to release Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu. Around 30 buses were set ablaze and several incidents of violence were reported from many areas. Post the violence Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code was put in place in the city. 

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu farmers have already threatened to protest in case the verdict is against them.

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The Cauvery verdict is being read read out by Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra.