Cauvery Water Sharing: TN MPs to Meet Jal Shakti Minister

Chennai: Debunking the false reasons cited by Karnataka to deprive Tamil Nadu of its due share of Cauvery water, an all-party delegation of MPs from the State, led by State Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan, would present a memorandum to Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat urging him to advise the neighbouring State to release water.

In a statement on Saturday, Chief Minister M K Stalin said that Karnataka’s arguments against the release of water should not be taken into account as they were all ‘flawed’ and ‘not based on facts’ and cited their claim that the Northeast monsoon would bring copious rains and hence Tamil Nadu would have adequate amount of water as example.

The memorandum that would be presented to Shekhawat could explain the State’s position on the issue and said it was not right on the part of Karnataka to dub Tamil Nadu's demand for its share of water as unfair and falsely state that its need had gone up because it had increased the ayacut area.

The delegation would request the Union Government to advise the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to instruct Karnataka to release 12,500 cusecs of water and direct the neighbouring State to adhere to the directions of CWMA and Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority (CWRC).

Since the India Meteorological Department has forecast normal rains in Karnataka's Cauvery catchment areas for 15 days from September, water should be released for Tamil Nadu, he said, adding that Karnataka’s claim that the Cauvery delta had adequate groundwater was wrong and the Union Government should reject it.

Quoting Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal orders and the Supreme Court ruling, Stalin said in a rain-deficit year, available water should be shared among states on a pro rata basis. As per that formula this year,Tamil Nadu must have received 103.5 tmc feet water till September 14 but had actually received only 38.4 tmc feet, amounting to a shortfall of 65.1 tmc feet, he said.

Stalin explained that the Mettur reservoir was opened on June 12 for Kuruvai cultivation and to enable farmers prepare for Samba cultivation as the storage in the dam was 69.25 TMC feet and the IMD had forecast normal rains.

Since Karnataka reneged in its commitment to release water in the Cauvery, Tamil Nadu had to approach the Supreme Court, he clarified.