New Delhi: The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal has recommended that the Centre constitute a Cauvery Management Board (CMB) to implement the directions in its final award.
The Tribunal, in its 1,000-plus page order passed on Monday, said it was drawing upon its implied power to make such a recommendation, and noted that "whatever machinery is set up should be adequately empowered to implement the Tribunal's decision, as otherwise we are afraid our decision would only be on a piece of paper."
Tamil Nadu had demanded the creation of an independent machinery for the effective implementation of the final award, with powers to take over reservoirs and monitor water release. The Tribunal noted that the mechanism, on the lines of the Bhakra-Beas Management Board, should be independent in character in order to achieve the objective of distribution of the waters as per the equitable shares determined by it. The CMB should comprise a chairman and two members; two representatives of the Central Government and one representative each from Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, besides a secretary. It should be "entrusted with the function of supervision of operation of reservoirs and with regulation of water releases therefrom with the assistance of CWRC."
