Bengaluru/New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Karnataka government to release 15,000 cusec of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu for next 10 days to meet the demand of the summer crop in the state.

“We think it’s appropriate to direct Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs of water per day for ten days,” the bench said, while also directing Tamil Nadu to release water to Puducherry appropriately as per its interim arrangement. Karnataka was instructed by SC to send water through Biligundlu reservoir.

The bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, asked the Supervisory Committee to look into Tamil Nadu’s plea over the deficiency in the supply of 60 tmcft of water from June to August. It gave Tamil Nadu three days time to approach the Supervisory Committee with its grievance.

The court gave three days time to Karnataka to respond to the plea by Tamil Nadu. The bench asked the Supervisory Committee to examine the matter in four days and pass appropriate directions.

On September 2, the Supreme Court had made an emotional appeal to Karnataka saying ‘live and let live’, after Tamil Nadu brought to the notice of the court that the Karnataka CM has said that not a drop of water will be released to it.

In a recent plea, Tamil Nadu had sought a direction to Karnataka to release 50.52 tmc feet of Cauvery water to save 40,000 acres of samba crops this season. In reply, Karnataka had said it has a deficit of about 80 tmc feet in its four reservoirs.

The verdict from SC led to protests in some parts of Karnataka. Activists of farmers associations staged protest against the verdict at Srirangapatna and Mandya. Agitated farmers blocked Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway and burnt tyres.

The court directed listing of the matter for further hearing on September 16.