Cauvery water row: Centre seeks 2 more weeks to present water sharing plan

The Supreme Court had earlier set May 3 deadline for the Centre to frame the draft scheme.

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday sought two more weeks from the Supreme Court to present the draft water sharing plan among states in the ongoing Cauvery dispute. The top court had earlier set May 3 deadline for the Centre to frame the draft scheme.

On February 16, the Supreme Court, in a significant verdict to resolve the decades-old Cauvery river water dispute, increased Karnataka's quota by 14.75 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft), taking it to to 270 tmcft. It reduced Tamil Nadu's share to 404.25 tmcft, while allowing it to extract 10 tmcft of groundwater from the river basin.

Since the judgement, state's opposition parties, including the DMK, have been holding massive protests ensued. Later AIADMK leaders also sat on hunger strike.

In the backdrop of strong pro-Cauvery protests in the state, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Tamil Nadu has been witnessing protests by opposition parties, including the DMK, and some other outfits over the delay in constitution of the CMB despite the February 16 order of the Supreme Court.

The state government has also filed a contempt petition against the Centre in the Supreme Court for not constituting the Cauvery Mangement Board within six weeks from February 16, the day the apex court pronounced its verdict.

With agency inputs