Chennai, July 20 (IANS) AIADMK General Secretary, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, has urged the Tamil Nadu government to take firm steps to secure the state’s rightful share of Cauvery water at the upcoming meeting of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), accusing the ruling government of failing to protect the interests of farmers and the state’s water rights.
In a statement issued on Monday, Palaniswami said the livelihoods of farmers in the Cauvery delta and the drinking water needs of people in more than 20 districts depend heavily on the river.
He alleged that despite repeated Supreme Court judgments affirming Tamil Nadu’s entitlement, Karnataka had continued to withhold the state’s due share of water and treated Tamil Nadu merely as a channel for surplus floodwater.
He noted that the CWMA and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee were constituted under the directions of the Supreme Court to ensure Karnataka released water to Tamil Nadu every month in accordance with the prescribed schedule.
Although the authority had directed Karnataka last month to release the monthly allocation, Palaniswami claimed that neither the authority enforced the order nor did the Tamil Nadu government press for its implementation.
Referring to Karnataka’s annual obligation to release 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) of water to Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK leader said only 2.91 tmc ft of the 9.19 tmc ft due in June had been released.
He added that around 31.24 tmc ft was scheduled for release in July, but both the June shortfall and the July allocation remained largely pending.
Palaniswami also criticised recent remarks attributed to former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that water would be released only after reservoirs in Karnataka were filled.
He termed the stand contrary to the Supreme Court verdict and the established guidelines governing inter-state water sharing, and said such an approach undermined the rule of law.
Targeting the Tamil Nadu government, Palaniswami alleged that its failure to press Karnataka for the pending releases amounted to a betrayal of delta farmers.
He further accused the government of diluting its election promise on cooperative farm loan waivers by limiting the relief announced after assuming office, leaving many farmers dissatisfied.
With the CWMA scheduled to meet on July 22, Palaniswami called on the state government to exert strong pressure on Karnataka to ensure that Tamil Nadu receives its full share of Cauvery water due for both June and July, warning that any further delay would severely affect kuruvai cultivation and the livelihoods of thousands of farming families and agricultural workers.
—IANS
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