CHENNAI: Hours after the notification of Cauvery scheme was approved by the Supreme Court to implement the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal on June 1, Tamil Nadu government named its members of Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC).
Girija Vaidyanathan, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, in a communication to UP Singh, Secretary, Union Water Resources Ministry, named SK Prabhakar, Secretary, Tamil Nadu PWD, as a part-time member of the CWMA and R Senthil Kumar, Chief Engineer, Water Resources Department, Tiruchy region as member of CWRC.
The State government had first considered R Subramanian, Chairman, Cauvery Technical Cell for membership of CWRC. However, the Union Water Resources Ministry insisted on a serving chief engineer.
Meanwhile, TN political parties have expressed suspicion over aspects of the authority and urged the Centre to set them right. DMK working president MK Stalin said of the nine CWMA members, five were from the Centre and the scheme did not guarantee the authority’s autonomy.
Even as efforts to form the Cauvery Water Management Authority are on a fast-track, political parties and farmers’ leaders were sceptical. Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam general secretary P Shanmugam said the appointment of UP Singh, as the interim chairman of CWMA would only delay the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for Kuruvai crop as an interim chairman could not take any decision. Since Karnataka dams had started getting inflows from the southwest monsoon, it was imperative that a permanent chairman be appointed, he said.
Meanwhile, DMK working president M K Stalin said autonomy of the authority was not guaranteed. “So, the people of Tamil Nadu wonder if the Centre is trying to create confusion and delay. The Centre should frame the rules for making CWMA an autonomous body and the water sharing formula as modified by the SC should be notified in the Union Gazette immediately. Above all, Mettur dam should be opened for irrigation on June 12,” he said.
PMK founder S Ramadoss, said although the formation of CWMA would not make any wonders happen, at least Tamil Nadu would be able to lodge its complaints and demands before this body. “An irrigation expert should be part of CWMA and not an IAS officer as an expert can decide on the distress-sharing formula when there is shortage of water... To find a permanent solution to the Cauvery dispute, the CWMA should be made a technical body and it should be vested with powers to take action against the State which fails to obey its orders,” he said.