Chennai: Amid the ongoing Cauvery water dispute, an all-party delegation of Members of Parliament (MPs) from Tamil Nadu is set to meet the Union Jal Shakti Minister. Although the meeting date has not been finalized, sources from the Tamil Nadu water works department indicate that it will take place shortly.
The meeting is a response to Karnataka’s firm stance, as they have declared that they will not release any further Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
The delegation’s primary objective is to apprise the Union minister of the critical need for Cauvery water and to highlight the importance of releasing it to save the Kuruvai crops in the Delta districts of Tamil Nadu.
Notably, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu regarding Cauvery waters on September 21.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin issued a statement addressing Karnataka’s allegations, labeling them as baseless. He clarified that Tamil Nadu’s demand for additional Cauvery water was fair, and the allegations of increasing Ayacut areas were unfounded. Stalin referred to the final verdict of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and Supreme Court, which mandates that riparian states in the Cauvery basin should share available water on a pro-rata basis during distress years. According to this verdict, Karnataka was expected to release 103.5 tmcft by September 14, but they released only 38.4 tmcft, creating a shortage of 65.1 tmcft.
In response to Karnataka’s defiance, the Cauvery Water Management Authority has called for an urgent meeting on Monday, September 18, as Karnataka had not complied with the order of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) to release 5000 cusecs of water by September 13.