Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has said Karnataka was illegally going ahead with various new projects in the Cauvery basin, which would affect the natural flow of water into Tamil Nadu.
In the second letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Cauvery issue in as many days, Jayalalithaa asked him to advise Karnataka not to proceed with any new schemes across the inter-state river till the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee are formed.
“Despite a pro-tem committee formed by the Supreme Court was in place to monitor the implementation of the final order of the Cauvery Tribunal, it is shocking that Karnataka, in utter disregard of the final order, is proceeding with new modernisation schemes in the Cauvery basin,” the Chief Minister’s letter dated September 3 said.
She also reiterated her demand for immediate formation of the CMB and CWRC so that Karnataka would not violate the final order of the Tribunal with impunity.
The Chief Minister said Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited, a Karnataka government enterprise, has called for expression of interest for the restoration and rejuvenation of river Arkavathy and for the modernisation of the canals of Hemavathy under the National River Conservation Programme and National Watershed Development besides the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme.
Pointing out that these schemes were new ones not contemplated in the final order of the Cauvery Tribunal, Jayalalithaa said it was apprehended that the remodelling of the Hemavathy project would result in increased withdrawal of water by Karnataka and expansion of their Ayacut to an extent more than what had been allocated by the final order of the Tribunal. Further, the new schemes would obstruct the natural flow of the river and consequently affect the irrigation interests of Tamil Nadu, she said.
In the previous letter, dated September 2, Jayalalithaa had asked the PM to stop Karnataka’s plan to establish a hydel power project at Mekedatu and three new reservoirs across the river.