BANGALORE: The State Government is broadly considering three options, including seeking a reference against the verdict of the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal, challenging it under Article 136 of the Constitution before the Supreme Court and third file a suit under Article 131 of the Constitution.

Making these statements on Monday on the premises of the Karnataka High Court, Advocate-General Uday Holla said if the State sought a reference against the verdict, it could only be more in the nature of a clarification.

He was speaking at a seminar organised by the Advocates Association on the Cauvery verdict in which the former Irrigation Minister H.N. Nanje Gowda and former MLC and Chief of Bureau of The Hindu , P. Ramiah, participated.

Holding out some hope if the State sought a reference, Mr. Holla reminded the gathering that the State had received some benefit after it had filed such an application during the Krishna river water dispute.

He said the State could point out all the anomalies in the verdict when it filed such an application.

On the issue of appealing in the Supreme Court under Article 136, he said if the award or verdict came to be notified by the Centre, it would have the same effect as a decree of the Supreme Court. The State, he said, could finally petition the Supreme Court under Article 131 but Article 262 had expressly forbidden any court from entertaining a suit on water dispute. Pointing out that the verdict was against the interest of the State, Mr. Holla said while the State contributed 53 per cent of the water into the river, the tribunal had allocated 30 per cent water to Karnataka and 53 per cent to Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.

He said while the tribunal had refused to calculate the groundwater availability in Tamil Nadu while allocating the share, it had taken the groundwater level in Karnataka while calculating the water needs of Karnataka. This, he said, was unfair and discriminatory.

Mr. Ramiah termed the verdict as "a last nail in the coffin." He said the tribunal had given to Karnataka 45 per cent less water than what it had demanded.

He said there was still hope if all the States went in for conciliation. "It is not too late even now for conciliation," he said.

Mr. Nanje Gowda assailed the verdict and said the State had been discriminated against.

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