While welcoming the Tamil Nadu government’s plea for compensation from Karnataka for its failure to release water in the Cauvery, Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Welfare Association has urged Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to file a case against the Central government for its failure to constitute the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Regulation Committee as directed by the Supreme Court. In a statement here, working president of the association Mahadhanapuram V. Rajaram commended the State government for its move against Karnataka.
He pointed out that Tamil Nadu has sought a compensation of Rs. 2,480 crore from Karnataka (towards food grain loss and electricity loss) for which it has moved the apex court. At the same time, he said that Tamil Nadu could move the court against the Central government for its failure to constitute the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Regulation Committee as these bodies could have averted the present predicament.
He welcomed the work apportioned to the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Regulation Committee pointing out that the latter could meet once in 10 days, or if necessary even within a space of 48 hours or 12 hours, to decide on the release of water depending upon the storage in the eight reservoirs, inflow and outflow, quantum of water required to be released, and how much released. Thus, constitution of these bodies could have reduced the problems facing Tamil Nadu considerably.
Mr. Rajaram lamented that because of the failure of Karnataka to release water in time, samba cultivation had plummeted to three lakh acres against the normal 14.93 lakh acres. He alleged that Karnataka did not bother to comply with the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal Award to release water to Tamil Nadu, but instead stored the water in its reservoirs and diverted the same to its own cultivable areas.
He contended that the farmers of Tamil Nadu had been betrayed while Karnataka farmers were getting “illegal” benefits. “This keeps on happening and the Central government has not bothered to take cognisance of this issue,” he alleged.
