New Delhi: Pointing out that the total quantity of water required for cultivation of one lakh acres of land was less in Tamil Nadu than Karnataka, senior counsel Shekhar Naphade argued in the Supreme Court that the Tribunal’s award of 192 tmcft of water to the State was less.
Making this submission before the court, he said the requirement for raising one lakh acres of paddy in Karnataka is about 19.3 tmcft, while in TN, it is about 13.3 tmcft. The difference in crop- water requirement per lakh acres of paddy crop is very high for Karnataka.
He said thus the water is inefficiently used in Karnataka. Instead, if Karnataka switches over from Khariff paddy to Khariff semi-dry crop, water can be used beneficially without much difference in economical benefit to farmers of Karnataka.
