A meeting of the legislative party leaders in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday decided to approach the Supreme Court, if necessary, to get Cauvery water for the state from Karnataka and Chief Minister M K Stalin vowed to take all necessary steps and protect the interests of farmers.
Addressing an all-party meeting at the Secretariat, Stalin assured that the state government would uphold the rights of farmers of the Cauvery delta region.
The government said on July 15 that the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) had directed the release of one TMC ft everyday from July 12, 2024 to July 31, 2024. Karnataka had said that it is ready to release 8,000 cusecs of water and not one TMC ft (11,500 cusecs).
The CM deplored that Karnataka does not even release a decreased quantum of water stipulated by CWRC. He said since the Karnataka government did not release Cauvery water last year in compliance with a verdict of the Supreme Court, farmers were severely affected.
“We secured water only by approaching the Supreme Court. This year, despite the southwest monsoon being favourable, the Karnataka government behaving in this way cannot be accepted.” Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan, DMK’s P Wilson (Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate), R S Bharathi (party organisation secretary), AIADMK’s SP Velumani and OS Manian, (both former ministers) took part.
Furthermore, the chief minister read out the resolutions, which he said are based on unanimous decisions, ”on the basis of views expressed in this meeting.” A resolution adopted at the meeting strongly condemned the Karnataka government for refusing to release water as per the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s directive of one TMC ft every day. Such refusal is tantamount to disrespecting the Supreme Court judgment and Cauvery Tribunal’s Final Award.
“This meeting unanimously resolves to approach the Supreme Court, if required, and take all legal steps in order to immediately get water for Tamil Nadu, as per the final award of the Cauvery tribunal and the Supreme Court judgment.” Another resolution urged the Cauvery Water Management Authority to direct Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu in compliance with the orders of the Cauvery Tribunal and the Supreme Court.
Representatives of Congress, PMK, VCK, CPI, CPI(M), BJP, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Kongu Makkal Desiya Katchi, Puratchi Bharatham and MDMK took part. Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena and top officials were present.
All party representatives supported the state’s stand that water should be secured from Karnataka to protect the interests of the state and its farmers.
The final award of the Cauvery tribunal was delivered on February 5, 2007. The Supreme Court judgment cited in the Tamil Nadu meeting was that of February 16, 2018.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, after an all-party meeting on July 15 in Bengaluru said there is only 63 per cent water in the Cauvery basin dams and the state was not in a position to release one TMC water each day. The state government is, however, ready to release 8,000 cusecs of water from the Cauvery river every day to Tamil Nadu instead of the one TMC ft till the end of this month, which was directed by the CWRC.
Furthermore, the Karnataka CM had said: “Everyone was of the opinion that we should release 8,000 cusecs of water and not one TMC, which is 11,500 cusecs of water. If there is no rain then we will minimise the release of water and file an appeal before the Cauvery Water Management Authority.”
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