CHENNAI: The 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 Tamil Nadu from Karnataka and Chief Minister M K Stalin vowed to take all necessary steps to protect the interests of farmers.
The meeting strongly condemned the Karnataka government’s decision to not release water as per the direction of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC), the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, and the verdict of the Supreme Court. The resolutions proposed by the CM were adopted unanimously. Addressing the meeting at the secretariat, Stalin assured that the state government would uphold the rights of farmers of the Cauvery delta region.
On Monday, the state government had announced that the meeting would be chaired by Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan. PMK leader G K Mani, however, requested the CM to take part in it and the request was accepted.
Speaking at the meeting, the CM said that Karnataka has refused to release even the nominal quantum of water ordered by the CWRC. The CM said the Karnataka government has decided not to release water as per the directive of the CWRC despite the southwest monsoon being favourable in the state. This cannot be accepted, the CM said. He recalled that last year, when Karnataka refused to release water, TN farmers faced huge hardship and the state received its due only after approaching the SC.
After the meeting concluded, former AIADMK ministers O S Manian and S P Velumani told reporters that as per the CWMA direction, for the period from February to May this year, Karnataka should have released 7.5 tmcft of water to TN for environmental protection alone.
“But we received only 2.016 tmcft. The DMK government has adopted a soft approach towards Karnataka and it has not moved the Supreme Court or the CWMA. The surplus water released by Karnataka should not account for water that is due. The government should immediately exert pressure to get the water,” they added.
Karu Nagarajan and Karuppu M Muruganandham of the BJP said legal steps to ensure the release of water from Karnataka should be taken expeditiously.
‘PM can’t intervene in Cauvery row’
When asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi could intervene, Nagarajan said there was no scope for the PM to intervene since the CWMA and the SC had full powers. The CM did not propose such a demand in the resolution knowing this fact, they said.
VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan said the union government has the duty to intervene when a state fails to honour an SC verdict and hence it should not keep silent in this matter. An all-party delegation from TN should meet with the PM to resolve the issue and a demonstration should be held in the delta region to convey the farmers’ feelings, he said.
TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai echoed a similar sentiment and called for the Centre’s intervention. CPI leader M Veerapandian likened Karnataka’s move to an assault on the Constitution. CPM MLA V P Nagaimaali, MDMK MLA Sadan Thirumalaikumar, KMDK leader E R Eswaran, and MMK president M H Jawahirullah also condemned Karnataka’s stance.