CHENNAI: Karnataka’s refusal to release the due share of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu has assumed serious political contours as Chief Minister M K Stalin urged Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to personally intervene and save the standing Kuruvai crop while PMK founder S Ramadoss feared the withering of the paddy crop raised in the Cauvery delta.
The Chief Minister’s letter, which was personally delivered to Shekhawat in New Delhi by State Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan, pointed out that Kuruvai cultivation was crucial for the farmers of the delta region and yet Karnataka was not honouring the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal order even after the Cauvery Water Management Authority had intervened in the matter.
The Mettur reservoir was opened on June 12 to facilitate the cultivation of the Kuruvai crop on time considering the carryover storage and the flows to be realized at Biligundlu as per the monthly schedule fixed on the basis of the Supreme Court's order dated February 16, 2018, he said.
‘However, the flows received at Biligundlu, from 1st June to 17th July, is 3.78 TMC only as against the prescribed quantum of 26.32 TMC for this period. This leaves a huge shortfall of 22.54 TMC. Even this meagre flow of 3.78 TMC realized at Biligundlu is from the flows from the uncontrolled intermediate catchment areas below the KRS and Kabini reservoirs up to Biligundlu,’ Stalin said.
Though the onset of South West monsoon was delayed, it had picked up pace in July and yet Karnataka had not released any water from the two scheduled reservoirs, resulting in the storage at Mettur reservoir dwindling fast, he said.
‘The current storage can sustain irrigation only for about 20 days. Since South West monsoon rainfall in Tamil Nadu is less, the Kuruvai crop depends only on flows from Mettur reservoir, which in turn depended on releases from Karnataka,’ he said.
Although 12,000 cusecs of water was released from Mettur initially, as needed per day for the Kuruvai crop, it had been brought down to 10,000 cusecs now, he said, adding that the demand – supply gap was very significant and could be met only by releases from Karnataka.
‘Our Hon’ble Minister for Water Resources had sought your intervention on this vital issue during his meeting with you on 05.07.2023 and requested you to instruct Karnataka to make good the shortfall. We had also taken up this issue already with the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee in its meetings as well as with the Cauvery Water Management Authority, vide our letter dated 03.07.2023. The Authority, in its letter dated 04.07.2023, advised Karnataka to ensure the flows at Biligundlu as per the Final Award of the CWDT as modified by the Hon’ble Supreme Court,' he said.
Stalin requested the Union Minister to direct the CWMA to issue directions to Karnataka to abide by the monthly schedule prescribed by the Supreme Court and make good the shortfall.
Ramadoss, in a statement, wanted the Chief Minister to lead a team of Ministers and officials to Delhi and meet the Prime Minister requesting him to prevail upon Karnataka to immediately release water in the Cauvery as the Mettur reservoir would dry up in three weeks.
The looming disaster in the Cauvery delta district could be easily averted if the Karnataka and Union Governments acted responsibly and the dams in Karnataka were going copious flows of 12,000 cubic feet every second, he added.
