Chennai, Jun 5 (DHNS): The Tamil Nadu government is likely to move the Supreme Court, seeking to stop the State from discharging sewage into River Cauvery. This follows a demand by Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu.

An emergency meeting, chaired by Chief Minister J Jayalalitha, on filing a petition in the Supreme Court against Karnataka on the issue was held at the State Secretariat on Thursday afternoon.

She discussed with Finance and PWD Minister O Panneerselvam and higher officials to find legal ways to stop Karnataka from polluting the river.“The government is keen to put a full stop to the issue. Legal experts will be consulted before moving the court,” a senior official from the office of the chief secretary said.

Opposition parties, including Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi, have asked the Tamil Nadu government to approach the Supreme Court on the issue of Karnataka discharging sewage water into Cauvery, considering the implications faced by people, including agriculturists using the water for irrigation and those utilising it for drinking.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) last Tuesday served a notice on the State government on the issue related to Bengaluru's sewage, which was let into its rivers, including Cauvery, and canals. This followed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an advocate who took cognisance of a media report. Justice M Chockalingam of the NGT’s southern zone asked the chief secretary of Karnataka and the State’s Pollution Control Board chief and others concerned to give an explanation on the matter on or before July 28.

Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi’s statement in the Legislative Council that 148 crore litres of Bengaluru’s sewage is let into Tamil Nadu on a daily basis through its rivers and canals, including the Arkavathi, had triggered a controversy in the neighbouring state.

Already Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are engaged in a legal battle over sharing of the Cauvery waters and are also at loggerheads on the latter’s move to construct a new dam at Mekedatu across the River Cauvery to store surplus waters, ‘in the guise of a new drinking water project.’