The Puducherry Government has impressed upon the Cauvery Supervisory Committee to ensure that the proportionate quota of Cauvery water now released as per the interim order of the Supreme Court to Tamil Nadu was made available to Karaikal region, Chief Secretary Manoj Parida said on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Parida, who had participated in the first meeting of the Cauvery Supervisory Committee in Delhi on September 12, said that he had impressed upon the committee that unless water was released immediately, the farmers in Karaikal region would face severe hardship. “I have written a letter to the Chairman of the Cauvery Supervisiory Committee and the Secretary, Water Resources Ministry, that our share be released immediately,” he said.
Mr. Parida expressed hope that the Mettur dam which would be opened in a day or two would make available Cauvery water to Karaikal region. Against the total 740 tmc of water available in the Cauvery basin, Puducherry was entitled to 7 tmc as per the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in 2007.
Authorities in Tamil Nadu have been releasing water through the Mettur dam. Normally, the Mettur dam would be opened on June 12 every year. But this year the dam was not opened for shortage of water and there had been no availability of water to Karaikal region.
