Condemning Karnataka’s refusal to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu despite good rainfall in the catchment areas, Chief Minister M K Stalin convened an all-party meeting to discuss the issue and take action.
In an official statement, the chief minister termed the neighbouring state’s stance a violation of the Supreme Court’s order and a betrayal of Tamil Nadu’s farmers.
Parties with representation in the state legislature have been invited for the meeting, to be chaired by DMK veteran and Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan.
While the meeting is an attempt to arrive at a political consensus, the chief minister, in the statement, said legal experts too would be consulted on securing the legitimate share of the state in the Cauvery waters.
Stalin pointed out that Karnataka has been disregarding the directives of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) which were constituted to implement the final award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal and the Supreme Court orders. Even last year, Karnataka failed to release the stipulated quantum of water, leaving the farmers in the Cauvery Delta region in the lurch. Then also, Tamil Nadu was forced to take the matter to the apex court.
In the current southwest monsoon season, the CWRC, after considering the inflow into the dams in Karnataka and their storage level, directed the release of One TMC Ft of water per day between July 12 and 31 to Tamil Nadu. As such, Stalin described Karnataka’s non-compliance as shocking and a clear violation of the apex court’s verdict in the matter.
“The total storage in the four dams in Karnataka across the Cauvery is 75.586 TMC. And, normal rainfall has been predicted during the southwest monsoon by the meteorological department. But, the storage in the Mettur dam in Tamil Nadu is only 13.808 TMC. Hence, the Tamil Nadu government has written to the CWMA, pressing for the implementation of the order of the CWRC),” he said adding, “Karnataka’s intransigence amounts to a betrayal of the farmers of the Delta region.”
The Opposition AIADMK criticised the DMK Government’s handling of the Cauvery issue. “Chief Minister Stalin is more concerned about the DMK’s alliance with the Congress, in power in Karnataka than taking steps to protect the Delta farmers,” the AIADMK general secretary said earlier in the day, reacting to Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar’s stand on water release. The party, however, announced that it would take part in the all-party meeting.
The Delta region of Tamil Nadu, the rice bowl of the state, is dependent on the Cauvery waters for cultivation.