Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday urged the Centre to ensure that Karnataka complies with the order of the Supreme Court on the Cauvery water dispute forthwith and releases water to the lower riparian State in accordance with the Apex Court’s directions on September 5, 6, 12, 20 and 27.
State Chief Secretary P. Rama Mohan Rao read out Ms Jayalalithaa’s speech (as she is in hospital) at the meeting convened in New Delhi by the Union Ministry of Water Resources with participation from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In the speech, she also urged the Government of India to immediately constitute the Cauvery Management Board as ordered by the Supreme Court.
“Further, Karnataka should release the stipulated quantity of water as per the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal including the backlog of 76.042 TMC ft as on September 26,” the speech copy circulated to the media here said. This was absolutely vital for the survival of at least a single Samba crop in the Cauvery Delta which is the granary of Tamil Nadu as well as to meet the drinking water needs of large number of towns and villages.
Taking on Karnataka for not obeying the Supreme Court’s orders, Ms Jayalalithaa in her speech said, “This deliberate defiance goes against the spirit of the Constitution itself and amounts to contempt of the Apex Court of the country.” Besides, defying the court order, Karnataka “permitted unruly elements to create law and order issues.”
Referring to the 1991, anti-Tamil riots in Karnataka, Ms Jayalalithaa said, following this Tamil people living in Karnataka have been living in fear whenever Tamil Nadu has claimed its rightful share of water in judicial forums, though all judicial forums have seen merit and justice in the State’s case.
Tamil Nadu was in dire need of water and hence she urged the Centre to prevail upon the upper riparian State to release water as per court directions.
Scenes outside Apollo Hospital:
