Express News Service
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has knocked on the doors of the central government again for Cauvery water by pointing out the risks faced by the current Kuruvai crop in the state, due to Karnataka’s refusal to release the due share of waters to Tamil Nadu.
While chief minister MK Stalin wrote to the union minister of Jal Shakti Gajendrasingh Shekhawat in this regard, water resources minister Duraimurugan met Shekhawat in New Delhi and personally requested him to instruct the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA)to direct Karnataka to release the deficit Cauvery water for June and July immediately.
“From June 1 to July 17, Karnataka should have released 26.32 tmc to Tamil Nadu as its justifiable share. But only 3.78 tmc of water has been released. So there is a shortfall of 22.54 tmc of water to Tamil Nadu. Even the 3.78 tmc realised at Billigundulu is from the flows from the uncontrolled intermediate catchment areas below the KRS and Kabini reservoirs,” the chief minister pointed out in his letter.
He also pointed out that the standing Kuruvai crop can be saved only if Karnataka releases water immediately and that the union minister should instruct CWMA to issue directions to Karnataka to abide by the monthly schedule prescribed by the SC and also make good the shortfall.
Tamil Nadu 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 the letter dated July 3. The Authority, in its reply on July 4, advised Karnataka to ensure the flows at Billigundulu as per the Final Award of the CWDT as modified by the SC. Even after the CWMA’s intervention, Karnataka has not made any effort to adhere to the monthly schedule prescribed by the apex court.
I have written to Hon’ble @gssjodhpur requesting the release of #Cauvery water and highlighting the risks faced by the current Kuruvai crop in Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, I have urged immediate attention to this critical issue. pic.twitter.com/UribUwcqy5
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) July 20, 2023
In New Delhi, responding to a question as to why can’t Tamil Nadu hold talks with Karnataka for Cauvery water, Duraimurugan said, “Holding talks for Cauvery water again will be a blunder. Such a move at this stage will not augur well for Tamil Nadu. For many long years, the issue could not be resolved and hence Tamil Nadu asked for setting up the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. We can’t go for talks now since if we move the court on this issue, then Karnataka will tell the court that talks are going on. So, holding talks will be a wrong move.”
Water Resources Secretary Sandeep Saxena, who accompanied Duraimurugan said, during the distress period, how equitable share should be distributed is the work of the CWMA but that has not been finalised for a long time. He said that should be taken up immediately. Saxena also said the Jal Sakthi minister assured that he will be directing the CWMA to do its duties for the release of Tamil Nadu’s share of water in Cauvery and also to develop a distress-sharing formula among all the Cauvery riparian states.
Asked about the contention of Karnataka that they don’t have sufficient water to share, Duraimurugan said “We don’t say the water is overflowing there. But we are asking Karnataka to share the available water. ”
The chief minister, in his letter, pointed out that the Kuruvai is a crucial crop for the farmers of the Cauvery Delta and to facilitate the cultivation of the Kuruvai crop on time, the Mettur reservoir was opened this year on June 12. “Though the onset of the southwest monsoon was delayed, it picked up pace in July. However, Karnataka has not released any water to us from the two scheduled reservoirs. As a result, the storage in Mettur reservoir is dwindling fast and the current storage can sustain irrigation only for about 20 days,” he underscored.
Since southwest monsoon rainfall in Tamil Nadu is less, the Kuruvai crop depends only on flows from the Mettur reservoir, which in turn depends on releases from Karnataka. Although 12,000 cusecs of water were released from Mettur initially, as needed per day for the Kuruvai crop, it has been brought down to 10,000 cusecs now. “Thus, we have been taking all efforts to manage the crisis with judicious water management. But the demand–supply gap is very significant and it can be met only by releases from Karnataka,” Stalin added.
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has knocked on the doors of the central government again for Cauvery water by pointing out the risks faced by the current Kuruvai crop in the state, due to Karnataka’s refusal to release the due share of waters to Tamil Nadu.
While chief minister MK Stalin wrote to the union minister of Jal Shakti Gajendrasingh Shekhawat in this regard, water resources minister Duraimurugan met Shekhawat in New Delhi and personally requested him to instruct the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA)to direct Karnataka to release the deficit Cauvery water for June and July immediately.
“From June 1 to July 17, Karnataka should have released 26.32 tmc to Tamil Nadu as its justifiable share. But only 3.78 tmc of water has been released. So there is a shortfall of 22.54 tmc of water to Tamil Nadu. Even the 3.78 tmc realised at Billigundulu is from the flows from the uncontrolled intermediate catchment areas below the KRS and Kabini reservoirs,” the chief minister pointed out in his letter. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
He also pointed out that the standing Kuruvai crop can be saved only if Karnataka releases water immediately and that the union minister should instruct CWMA to issue directions to Karnataka to abide by the monthly schedule prescribed by the SC and also make good the shortfall.
Tamil Nadu 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 the letter dated July 3. The Authority, in its reply on July 4, advised Karnataka to ensure the flows at Billigundulu as per the Final Award of the CWDT as modified by the SC. Even after the CWMA’s intervention, Karnataka has not made any effort to adhere to the monthly schedule prescribed by the apex court.
I have written to Hon’ble @gssjodhpur requesting the release of #Cauvery water and highlighting the risks faced by the current Kuruvai crop in Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, I have urged immediate attention to this critical issue. pic.twitter.com/UribUwcqy5
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) July 20, 2023
In New Delhi, responding to a question as to why can’t Tamil Nadu hold talks with Karnataka for Cauvery water, Duraimurugan said, “Holding talks for Cauvery water again will be a blunder. Such a move at this stage will not augur well for Tamil Nadu. For many long years, the issue could not be resolved and hence Tamil Nadu asked for setting up the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. We can’t go for talks now since if we move the court on this issue, then Karnataka will tell the court that talks are going on. So, holding talks will be a wrong move.”
Water Resources Secretary Sandeep Saxena, who accompanied Duraimurugan said, during the distress period, how equitable share should be distributed is the work of the CWMA but that has not been finalised for a long time. He said that should be taken up immediately. Saxena also said the Jal Sakthi minister assured that he will be directing the CWMA to do its duties for the release of Tamil Nadu’s share of water in Cauvery and also to develop a distress-sharing formula among all the Cauvery riparian states.
Asked about the contention of Karnataka that they don’t have sufficient water to share, Duraimurugan said “We don’t say the water is overflowing there. But we are asking Karnataka to share the available water. ”
The chief minister, in his letter, pointed out that the Kuruvai is a crucial crop for the farmers of the Cauvery Delta and to facilitate the cultivation of the Kuruvai crop on time, the Mettur reservoir was opened this year on June 12. “Though the onset of the southwest monsoon was delayed, it picked up pace in July. However, Karnataka has not released any water to us from the two scheduled reservoirs. As a result, the storage in Mettur reservoir is dwindling fast and the current storage can sustain irrigation only for about 20 days,” he underscored.
Since southwest monsoon rainfall in Tamil Nadu is less, the Kuruvai crop depends only on flows from the Mettur reservoir, which in turn depends on releases from Karnataka. Although 12,000 cusecs of water were released from Mettur initially, as needed per day for the Kuruvai crop, it has been brought down to 10,000 cusecs now. “Thus, we have been taking all efforts to manage the crisis with judicious water management. But the demand–supply gap is very significant and it can be met only by releases from Karnataka,” Stalin added.
