Citing the requirement of drinking water for Bengaluru, the Supreme Court (SC) today lowered the amount of Cauvery water due to Tamil Nadu, to 404.25 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet), from the 419 tmcft allotted by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in February 2007.

The SC allotted Karnataka 270 tmcft Cauvery water, which is 14.75 tmcft more than the Tribunal award. The apex court said drinking water has to be kept on the highest pedestal. In addition to Bengaluru’s need for more drinking water, the SC also took note of the fact that the city’s industrial needs have also risen.

There’s no change in the allotment for Puducherry (30 tmcft) and Kerala (7tmcft).

The SC permitted Tamil Nadu (TN) to draw additional 10 tmcft ground water from a total available 20 tmcft beneath Cauvery basin. This Tamil Nadu Cauvery water share would only reduce by 4.75 tmcft.

So, the SC said, Karnataka will be releasing 177.25 tmcft Cauvery water to TN from the inter-state Biligundlu dam every year.

With these minor changes, the SC said, it is fully endorsing the method used by the Tribunal to give its final award in 2007.

The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra authored today’s unanimous verdict of the three-judge bench.

After the verdict, visuals from the Karnataka Assembly showed lawmakers congratulating a smiling CM Siddaramaiah. Coincidentally, the state budget is also to be presented today. A group called Rakshana Vedike, or Karnataka Protection Forum, celebrated after the SC verdict.

A Navaneethakrishnan, lawyer for TN, said he respects the apex court’s verdict, but added that the amount of water his state has been awarded isn’t enough.