Chennai: An all-party meeting on Tuesday nudged the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to direct Karnataka government to release water as per the directive of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) while resolving that Tamil Nadu, “if necessary”, would move the Supreme Court on the sensitive issue.
The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister M K Stalin and attended by leaders of political parties represented in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, also condemned the Congress government in Karnataka for its “outright refusal” to release water to the neighbouring state.
Attended by representatives of AIADMK, Congress, BJP, VCK, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), and other parties, the meeting resolved that the state government will take all necessary steps to protect the interests of farmers in the Cauvery Delta region who are dependent on Cauvery water for irrigation.
“Karnataka government’s stand (of not releasing water) is not acceptable, especially when the monsoon is conducive. Last year too, the Karnataka government didn’t release water due for us. We got justice only after knocking at the doors of the Supreme Court,” Stalin told the meeting.
The meeting comes three days after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ruled out releasing 1 tmcft water every day to Tamil Nadu between July 12 and July 13 as per the direction of the CWRC. He had said Karnataka could release only 8,000 cusecs of water every day to Tamil Nadu.
“Karnataka government has insulted the final verdict of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in 2007, Supreme Court verdict in 2018, and the recent order by the CWRC. The all-party meeting condemns the Karnataka government for refusing to release water to Tamil Nadu,” one of the resolutions passed at the meeting said.
Another resolution urged the CWMA to direct Karnataka government to release water due to Tamil Nadu, while the third one said the state government, if necessary, will move the Supreme Court regarding the issue.
“All legal options will be explored,” the meeting added.
"Karnataka government’s decision not to release water (1 tmcft) to Tamil Nadu is shocking. Tamil Nadu has also written to CWMA seeking implementation of its order," Stalin had said on Monday, adding that the combined storage of four reservoirs in Karnataka is 75.586 tmcft whereas the storage in Mettur dam in Tamil Nadu is just 13.808 tmcft.
The Stanley Reservoir in Mettur wasn’t opened on the scheduled date of June 12 due to non-availability of adequate water for cultivation of kuruvai (short-term crop) in the Cauvery Delta region in Tamil Nadu.