Asserting that there was no scope for talks with
Karnataka on the Cauvery river water dispute after it refused to release
water as per the orders of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee
(CWRC), Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan said
Supreme Court is the last resort for us.
Assuring the farmers of the Cauvery delta districts that the ruling DMK
would make all efforts to ensure that they were not affected in any way
after Karnataka’s refusal to release 5,000 cubic feet per second water
to Tamil Nadu per day as per the directions of CWRC, Mr Duraimurgan
said the case comes up before the Supreme Court on September 21.
“We have to observe the formal response of the Karnataka government
to the CWRC’s direction”, he told reporters here last night, reacting to
Karnataka’s decision not to release water to the State taken at an all
party meeting on Wednesday.
“The last resort for us is the Supreme Court where the matter will come
up for hearing on September 21. By that time we will know the stand to
be taken by Karnataka”, he said, while assuring that the Tamil Nadu
government will definite secure relief for the farmers.
Despite Karnataka has all along been opposing every development (in
favour of Tamil Nadu) in the dispute, the Minister said, “We have been
safeguarding our rights.”
To a query on whether the Tamil Nadu Government will convene an all
party meeting as desired some farmers associations in the wake of the
one convened by the neighbouring state yesterday, Mr Duraimurugan
it could be considered after the outcome of the hearing of the case in
the Apex Court on Thursday next.
On whether any scope of talks with Karnataka to resolve the row, the
Minister shot back saying Tamil Nadu went in for adjudication only
because talks did not yielded any fruitful results.
He said as on September 12, the storage of four Karnataka reservoirs
in the Cauvery basin is around 63.801 tmc ft. As the Met department
has forecast rains in September for Karnataka, 10 tmc ft would become
available.
Besides, in the month of October, the four reservoirs would receive at
least 30 tmc ft of water, he added.
“The CWRC has ordered only 5,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) for
15 days (from September 13) which will be equivalent to 6.48 tmc ft. It is
lower than the quantum suggested under the distress-sharing formula,”
Mr. Duraimurugan said.
