The Hindu : CRA meet in early January to save samba crop

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 28, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

CRA meet in early January to save samba crop

By Our Special Correspondent

Chennai Dec. 27. The Cauvery inflows into the Mettur reservoir have dropped to a trickle, the hopes of lakhs of delta farmers have dwindled, and once again, the Tamil Nadu Government desperately awaits the meeting of the Cauvery River Authority to save at least the long-term samba crop.

Indications are that the Prime Minister would convene the Authority comprising the Chief Ministers of four riparian States by first week of January.

With two-thirds of the reservoir remaining empty and the storage not sufficient for more than a week's irrigation supplies, the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, had shot off a letter to the Prime Minister, A.B.Vajpayee, to call a meeting of the Authority "at the earliest" to salvage 2.85 lakh hectares of standing crop in the delta districts.

If Karnataka refuses to release the quantum of water due to Tamil Nadu, the State, which lost more than 50 per cent of the short-term kuruvai running to over Rs. 500 crores, will lose the samba crop as well, fear officials.

Ms. Jayalalithaa, in her letter, is said to have detailed the distress situation and asked the Prime Minister to take immediate steps to ensure justice for the delta farmers.

Last fortnight, Ms.Jayalalithaa, wrote to the Prime Minister to hold the CRA meeting on December 22, a day after the National Development Council session in Delhi. But as the Prime Minister and Ms. Jayalalithaa were in Gujarat to attend the Gujarat Chief Minster, Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony, Tamil Nadu did not press for the meeting.

However, with the rain stopping in Karnataka, the Cauvery inflows to Tamil Nadu dipped to 316 cusecs on December 22 from 2,116 cusecs on December 20. It dipped to 312 cusecs today, leaving the level in the 120-ft Mettur reservoir at a dismal 43.24 ft and the storage at 13,819 mcft, against the total capacity of 93,470 mcft.

For the State Government, which knocked at the doors of the Supreme Court, the only recourse appears to be a directive by the Authority to Karnataka to release water. For, the apex court has put off the next hearing on Tamil Nadu's contempt petition against the Karnataka Chief Minister, S. M. Krishna, for flouting its directive until the convening of the CRA.

From the kuruvai season till the samba season (June 1 to December 27), Karnataka should to have released 192.43 tmcft as per the interim award of the Cauvery Tribunal, but it has released only 83.72 tmcft, leaving a huge deficit of 108.71 tmcft.

The Cauvery crisis has already hit the State's economy with the primary agriculture sector threatening to go into negative growth. Perhaps for the first time in several years, Tamil Nadu is on the verge of losing both its kuruvai and samba crops.

Mettur dam closed

Our Thanjavur Staff Reporter reports

The Mettur dam was closed at 4 p.m.today to build up storage. Announcing this at an agriculture grievances day meeting at Thanjavur, the Public Works Department Superintending Engineer, P.R.Meenakshi Sundaram, said water flow would be maintained, however, from the Grand Anaicut.

There was adequate water in the Anaicut and the flow would be maintained continuously in the Cauvery, Vennar and Grand Anaicut canal systems for three days.

Later, depending on the requirement, water would be released.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Show of unity marks DMK protest

Karunanidhi rules out patch-up with State BJP

Divorcee plea against talaaq mode dismissed

`Mamallapuram to get major facelift'

Egmore-Villupuram BG line ready for electrification

Tirukurral palm leaf manuscripts found

CRA meet in early January to save samba crop

Azhagiri presence enthuses cadres

Christian council seeks protection for Tirumavalavan