THANJAVUR: In a bid to exert pressure on Karnataka government to release Cauvery water due for Tamil Nadu, thereby saving kuruvai paddy and commencing samba paddy cultivation, Joint Movement for Cauvery Basin Protection has decided to organise protests in eight districts on September 20. The meeting of the movement, comprising 11 various farmers organisations, held in Thanjavur on Friday passed a resolution to this effect.
Elaborating the decision made in the meeting P Shanmugam, president of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association said as the prescribed quantum of water was not released by Karnataka, the kuruvai paddy cultivated in lakhs of acres in Cauvery delta districts have wilted.“Farmers are also reluctant to commence the samba paddy cultivation as there was no significant inflow of water in the Cauvery from Karnataka. The Tamil Nadu government has the responsibility to clarify whether farmers could take up samba paddy cultivation or not,” Shanmugam said.
The farmer leader pointed out even from the beginning of this water year (June), Karnataka did not release water to Tamil Nadu as per monthly schedule. “Even after the directives of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and Supreme Court, the ruling and the opposition parties and farmers organisations in Karnataka are staging protests against releasing water to Tamil Nadu. This is condemnable,” Shanmugam added.
He said the meeting has demanded the state government to disburse Rs 35,000 per acre as compensation to all farmers who have lost their kuruvai paddy. It also urged the union and state governments to take steps to ensure Cauvery water to TN as per monthly schedule. If Karnataka failed to release water as per the orders of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), the authority should take over the control of the reservoirs in Karnataka and release the water due for Tamil Nadu, Shanmugam added.
Reiterating these demands, the farmers, farm workers will hold protests on September 20 in the district headquarters of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagappattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, Tiruchy, Ariyalur and Pudukkottai, he said. General secretaries of Tamil Nadu Farmers Association PS Masilamani (CPI affiliated), Sami Natarajan (CPM affiliated), KV Elankeeran, president of Federation of Cauvery Delta irrigation water users association were among those present.