Monsoon eases Tamil Nadu-Karnataka tension
The monsoon is flooding the Chennai roads and throwing life out of gear but on the explosive political canvas, the heavy showers have cooled down the tempers — albeit temporarily — for the warring neighbours Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the sharing of Cauvery waters.
Heavy rainfall in the catchment area is bringing the flood releases into Billigundlu, the gauge (measuring) station of the Central Water Commission, from where the water is drawn for irrigation in TN, even though the Jagadish Shettar government had taken the state that ‘not a drop of water will be given to TN’.
“There is a ceasefire on Cauvery now, but this is a temporary relief, a brief solace. The delta farmers need 2 tmcft per day till January but now they are only getting rain releases of about 6,000 cusecs (released for 24 hours), which is just 0.5 tmcft.
"Only 20-25 per cent of the targeted area has been brought under samba cultivation. Karnataka has reduced the Cauvery release saying TN does not need it because of the rain. This is not the correct situation. What happens if the rainfall drops in the next couple of days?” wondered general secretary Arupathy P. Kalyanam of the Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Federation.
Continous rain in Tamil Nadu
* Tamil Nadu received 100% more than normal rainfall for a period of 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Friday.
* With the trough of low pressure moving towards southern Tamil Nadu and Sri Lankan waters, the state will receive very heavy rainfall for the next few days.
* Educational institutions in Chennai will remain closed on Saturday.
* Traffic came to a standstill on several Chennai roads for second consecutive day
* Traffic police alerts on flooded stretches turned out useful for motorists
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