Jayalalithaa urges PM’s intervention in Cauvery

 

“I would like to bring to your notice that, as against the quantity of 94 tmc ft due to Tamil Nadu at Billigundulu, only a meagre quantity of 66.443 tmc ft has been realised. Thus, there is a huge shortfall of 27.557 tmc ft for TN farmers to irrigate,” she said in a letter.   

 

The Karnataka government, which is the upper riparian state, was duty bound to ensure the stipulated monthly flows in 10 daily intervals during every water year, as per the final order of the tribunal of February 5, 2007.  

 

The final order had been notified by the Centre in 2013, giving it the status of a Supreme Court decree. On account of Karnataka’s default, Mettur reservoir could not be opened on the scheduled date of June 12 this year for farmers to raise ‘kuruvai crop’ in the Cauvery delta. However, the reservoir was opened last month with the available quantity of 60.411 tmc ft to enable farmers to raise at least one ‘samba crop’. 

 

The agricultural operations were on in full swing. Therefore, water had to be continuously supplied in the Cauvery-fed districts till January 2016 for sustenance of the samba crop, the letter explained.

 

The storage in Mettur was only 50.552 tmc ft. The inflow continued to dwindle. Karnataka had enough storage in its four major reservoirs and had been releasing water from July  2015 for its irrigation. “Instead of releasing our legitimate share as per the tribunal order, Karnataka continues to utilise all the water in its reservoirs as if it owns the Cauvery river with scant regard to the plight of the farmers in Tamil Nadu,” the letter said. “I, therefore, seek your personal intervention in the matter and request you to advise the government of Karnataka to make good the shortfall of about 27.557 tmc ft. of water up to 31.8.2015”, Jayalalithaa said.