CHENNAI: Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan on Friday said the storage levels in Tamil Nadu will be sufficient only for 20 days to irrigate delta districts, even if used in a highly judicious manner.
“However, we are hoping for the best since Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendrasingh Shekhawat has promised that he would instruct the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to direct Karnataka to release water at the earliest,” Duraimurugan said.
He was answering queries from reporters at the Chennai airport after returning from New Delhi where he met the Union minister. “For June and July, Karnataka has to release 26tmcft of water, but has released only three tmcft so far. As a result, the water available will last only for 20 days to irrigate delta districts, even if we use it very judiciously. After that, the standing crops can be saved only if there is rain. Otherwise, the crops will wither,” he said.
Duraimurugan said anticipating this situation, he had met Shekhawat on July 5 and requested him to instruct CWMA to release water to Tamil Nadu since it is the duty of the authority to finalise the water-sharing formula during distress periods. “But, the Authority has been lethargic.
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The Union minister has the power to expedite the authority in this regard but has not done it. So, this time, Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote a letter to Shekhawat and I handed it over to him, Duraimurugan said. The Union minister promised him that he would instruct CWMA to release water to Tamil Nadu within a day or two, the minister said.