NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu government on Monday filed a petition in the Supreme Court asking the court to direct Karnataka to immediately release 24,000 cusecs of water every day from August 14, to save the standing paddy crops in the state.
A day, after Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) asked Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs per day to Tamil Nadu, the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on August 11, reduced the quantum to 10,000 cusecs (0.864 tmcft per day) to be released for 15 days from KRS and Kabini reservoirs.
“The CWMA said Tamil Nadu must get 10,000 cusecs at Billigundulu on the interstate border, but even this has not been complied with by the Karnataka government,” the state told the court in its plea.
“The actual flow recorded at Billigundulu on August 11, 12 13, and 14 was 6,148 cusecs, 4,852, 4,453 and 4,000 cusecs, respectively,” the plea said.
Highlighting the efforts taken by Tamil Nadu to get its due share of water from Karnataka, the plea said Karnataka is duty-bound to release water as per the orders of the apex court.
“About 14.913 lakh acres (net area) of the crop are dependent on Mettur reservoir for irrigation, which in turn depends on the water released by Karnataka from KRS and Kabini reservoirs. The two dams receive most of their water during the southwest monsoon. In Tamil Nadu, kuruvai and samba, the state’s primary paddy crops, are sown and transplanted in the Cauvery delta region during the monsoon.
Hence, the release of water from Mettur during the southwest monsoon is crucial. About four million farmers and about 10 million labourers both directly and indirectly depend on Mettur water for their livelihood. Agricultural operations in the delta region have been hit due to lack of water for irrigation and the crops are facing water stress, which would affect the agricultural production,” the petition said.
Tamil Nadu has sought the immediate implementation of the top court’s February 16, 2018, order directing Karnataka to deliver Cauvery water to the state at the designated point as per the monthly schedule.
Tamil Nadu has also prayed the court to direct Karnataka to ensure the stipulated release of water for September to make good the shortfall of 28.849 tmcft during the current water year (June to May) and also direct CWMA to ensure the implementation of court directions issued to Karnataka and ensure timely release of the monthly quota during the remaining period of the current water year.
The Tamil Nadu government also sought directions to the CWMA to ensure that the directions on the release of water given to Karnataka are fully implemented and that the stipulated monthly releases during the remaining period of the current water year are fully given effect by Karnataka.
The opposition parties, including the AIADMK, and various associations for farmers in the delta districts have been criticising the DMK government for ‘failing’ to get the due water from Karnataka though the DMK and the Congress are allies.
Chief Minister MK Stalin had already written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Jal Shakthi Gajendrasingh Shekhawat about Karnataka’s failure to honour the SC verdict and the award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.