CM promises due share of Cauvery

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hief minister J. Jayalalithaa assured the Assembly that the state government was involved in measures aimed at ensuring Tamil Nadu's right over Cauvery water and exuded hope that Supreme Court's intervention will make the state get its due share of water from Karnataka.

“My government is taking steps to uphold TN's rights on Cauvery water and sustain the samba crop. Already the kuruvai paddy crop has been affected (due to non-releasing of water). Due to my persistent efforts and also the SC's intervention, Karnataka has been compelled to release at least some quantity of water,“ Ms Jayalalithaa said while replying to a motion moved by the Left parties in the Assembly on Friday.

Recounting the measures she had taken, the chief minister said TN was constrained to moved the apex court against Karnataka for obtaining Cauvery water for summer irrigation, besides receiving a favourable order from the court in directing the neighbouring state to implement the Cauvery River Authority's order asking it to release 9,000 cusecs to the lower riparian state.

The Cauvery Monitoring Committee had asked Karnataka to release 6.09 tmcft water to Tamil Nadu this month, she said and accused Karnataka of “unilaterally“ building dams on Cauvery and increasing its acreage under agriculture.

“Not even once had Karnataka implemented the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's 1991 interim order awarding 205 tmcft water to Tamil Nadu. On the contrary it had only released excess water,“ Ms Jayalalithaa said.