Farmers up in arms over water

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Chennai: As reports about Cauvery monitoring committee (CMC) meeting in New Delhi on Thursday reached the state capital, thousands of farmers started from delta districts towards the city to fight for their (Cauvery) rights.
General secretary of Federation of Farmers Association (Cauvery districts) Arupathy Kalyanam appealed to Chennaiites to participate in Tuesday’s hunger strike at Chepauk and said Cauvery river was not a livelihood source to 2.5 crore people in Cauvery basin but also drinking water source to over eight million Chennaiites who get 180mld from Veeranam lake, which is fed by Cauvery.
Pointing out that the 30-year-annual average water received at Mettur dam till 1970 was 378 tmcft, Mr Kalayanam said the interim and final awards of the tribunal reduced it to 205 and 192 tmcft. Kuruvai acreage reduced from 5.5 to 1.85lakh acres owing to the tribunal reducing the acreage by 4.55 lakh acres in TN over years, Mr Kalayanam claimed faulting Karnataka for increasing acreage beyond the 11.2 lakh acres prescribed by tribunal.
Mettur level hits rock bottom
As the Cauvery issue meanders on with CRA meets, Supreme Court hearings and political rallies, delta farmers, who have been pushed to deep distress owing to crops withering due to lack of water, remain skeptical about the outcome of Cauvery Monitoring Committee meet reportedly scheduled for January 10. The prevailing water situation in Karnataka lends credence to their doubts.
Senior TN government sources preferring anonymity said the Mettur dam would not be opened for delta irrigation unless another 20tmcft is realized at the dam.
The four reservoirs in Karnataka jointly store a meager 26tmcft and given the state’s belligerence, there is a remote possibility of it giving any more water, sources opined. As per tribunal award, TN should get 205tmcft per year, but the state received only 120tmcft till December 2012. While Karnataka depleted the storage for a successful third crop during a distress year, TN is facing the threat of losing its second crop even, pushing some delta farmers to even commit suicide.
On the day the Supreme Court bench posted the hearing of the petition filed by Karnataka, seeking to stay the September 19 order of the CRA, the water level plunged to an alarming low at Mettur Stanley reservoir.
On Monday, the dam’s water level stood at 9.7 tmcft, against its full capacity of 93.47 tmcft. About 1,300 cusecs flows in, while 1,500 cusecs is let out from the dam. The CMC meets as per SC direction to assess the water requirement and shortfall and pass appropriate orders after factoring in the plight of standing crops in TN and Karnataka.
Karnataka had of late refused to honour the previous CMC orders forcing TN to move the SC for relief.
Going by chief minister J. Jayalalithaa’s statement on Saturday, samba crops spread across 11 lakh acres in the state are at stake.