Release 15 tmc ft Cauvery water: Tamil Nadu CM to Karnataka

Chennai/Delhi: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Saturday urged his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah to release 15 tmc feet water from the Cauvery to Tamil Nadu taking into account the plight of the Delta farmers who lost their crop last year, due to deficit inflows into Mettur reservoir.

“Considering the plight of the large number of Delta farmers who depend on the success of this crop to meet their livelihood, instruct your officers to release 7 tmc feet water immediately and the balance within a fortnight, from the existing storage for saving the standing crops,” Mr Edappadi said in a letter addressed to Mr Siddaramaiah, a copy of which was released to the media on Saturday.

The crop season in Karnataka is already over and there is a gross storage of about 49.82 tmc feet as on January 12, 2018 in the state's four major reservoirs in the Cauvery basin.

“After reserving the minimum needs of drinking water supply and perennial crops, Karnataka can release at least 15 tmc feet to Tamil Nadu to make up a part of the shortfall, which is required to meet the crucial needs of the standing crops in the Cauvery delta,” Mr Palaniswami said.

Extending his greetings to the Karnataka CM and the people of that state “on the happy occasion of Makara Sankaranthi,” Mr Palaniswami pointed out that as per the notified Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (Feb. 5, 2007), Tamil Nadu has to get 192 tmc feet water in a year at Billigundulu, as specified in the order. But as on January 9, 2018, only 111.647 tmc feet has been realised at Billigundulu against 179.871 tmc feet due by that date, leaving a deficit of 68.224 tmc feet.

Last year, the Mettur reservoir could be opened for irrigation only on October 2, against the normal date of June 12, as the inflow into the reservoir was poor and the storage was inadequate. Though the Samba cultivation commenced soon after and the rainfall due to NE monsoon was helpful in the beginning, but due to heavy rains the young crops were damaged by October end. So, the farmers had to replant the crop because of which the crop period got extended.

These standing crops need irrigation beyond January. “The storage in the Mettur reservoir as on January 12, 2018, is mere 21.27 tmc feet (usable storage 16.27 tmc feet). This is grossly inadequate to meet the irrigation needs of the standing crops and drinking water needs during the summer months,” Mr Palaniswami added.

We are not in position to release water to TN now, says Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday made it clear that the southern state was “not in a position” to release Cauvery water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu, even as he hoped for a “favourable order” on the long-pending dispute next month.

His remarks come in the wake of a letter written to him by his Tamil Nadu counterpart demanding the immediate release of 7 tmc feet of water to the state as per the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

“We do not have water. How can we supply to them? It is not possible to release water to Tamil Nadu,” the Karnataka chief minister said in response to the let-
ter.

“We expect a favourable order,” he said on the hearing of the Cauvery water dispute next month. Siddaramaiah was in the national capital to attend a meeting called by Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Last week, the Supreme Court had indicated that it would deliver within a month its verdict on the decades-old water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, saying enough confusion had been created on it for over two decades.