CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan on Wednesday urged Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to ensure that Karnataka releases water due to TN from the Cauvery immediately as standing crops in its delta districts are in urgent need of the water.
Duraimurugan met Shekhawat at his office in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum titled ‘Non-release of Cauvery water by Karnataka as per the judgment of the Supreme Court and the Mekedatu project proposed by Karnataka’. The memorandum explained the month-wise allocation of Cauvery water to TN and that Karnataka had failed to release the full quota of water for June.
“From June till July 3, Karnataka should have released 12.213 tmc of water. But we have received 2.993 tmc. This is a deficit of 9.220 tmc and should be released immediately to save the crops,” he told reporters. He added that he’d requested Shekhawat to press the Cauvery Water Management Authority to instruct Karnataka to release the water.
“The union minister immediately asked a joint secretary in his ministry to talk to the CWMA in this regard. We hope for the best,” he said.When asked if the DMK, as an alliance partner of the Congress currently in power in Karnataka, could have directly asked the Congress CM to release the water, Duraimurugan indicated that practically it was not possible.
He quoted a Tamil proverb, “Thaayum pillaiyam aanaalum vaayum vayirum veru veru” (Although mother and child are close, when it comes to food and water, each has her own needs). Responding to a question, water resources secretary Sandeep Saxena said, “We are also meeting the CWMA chairman regarding the release of deficit water.” On the Mekedatu issue, Duraimurugan said, “We are firm in our stand not to allow a dam at Mekedatu.”
Both states have been at loggerheads over Karnataka’s Mekedatu dam project. Opposition parties in TN have criticised the DMK government after Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar expedited efforts to build the dam.However, the ruling DMK has maintained that it will not allow the project to go forward as it is violative of a Supreme Court verdict.
Less than one-third water received in June
Duraimurugan told reporters, “From June till July 3, K’taka should have released 12.213 tmc of water, but we have received only 2.993 tmc’’