NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala and Pondicherry on Friday took a united stand, urging the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal not to enforce its "tentative" order directing the Centre to appoint a three-member experts committee to go into their crop pattern and water requirements.

They said the April 21 order passed by two members of the tribunal should not be made absolute and given effect to. For, constitution of the experts committee would indefinitely delay the proceedings. Considering that the tribunal was set up 16 years ago, the final award should be given as early as possible.

On April 21, the tribunal concluded arguments. However, the members, N.S. Rao and Sudheer Narain, passed an order for the constitution of the experts committee. Chairman N.P. Singh, in a separate order, expressed his disagreement. In view of the difference of opinion, the members said their order would be tentative and asked the parties to file their response. Whether the order was absolute or not would be decided on May 5.

In its response, Tamil Nadu said the State had filed all relevant documents and notes on the assessment of crop water requirements, and it was willing to provide any further clarification. The proposed appointment of a committee would delay the proceedings. "It is in the interest of all the party States and their inhabitants that the final award is given as soon as possible as the matter is 16 years old."

Karnataka said: "This matter has been argued from the start on an adversarial basis for arriving at an adjudication; the party States have been given full opportunity to file documents, information and data." Further, they were given opportunity to lead oral evidence and witnesses on each side were examined, cross-examined and re-examined over a continuous period of 96 months. Thereafter detailed arguments were advanced on the sufficiency of evidence or otherwise in respect of crop water requirement.

"In these circumstances, it is neither fair nor appropriate, particularly at this stage after the conclusion of arguments, to reopen any of the questions as proposed in the order of the two members of the tribunal. Moreover, any investigation into crop water requirement would be time consuming and would lead to interminable delay in passing the final order/decision."

The State prayed that the order of the two members be not be given effect to.

Kerala said: "All the materials based on which the State has assessed its crop water requirement in the various project reports are before the tribunal. The appointment of a committee of experts at this stage would delay the proceedings indefinitely."

Pondicherry said the inhabitants of the Karaikal region had been waiting for the last 16 years and "they are anxious to get their share of the water of Cauvery. Any further investigation will indefinitely delay the final award."

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