The delinquency of the Karanataka government in not adhering to the stipulations of the Cavuery River Authority in sharing the waters with Tamil Nadu prompted the tail-end Delta farmers to lay siege to the Neyveli Lignite Corporation’s corporate office on Saturday. Under the banner of the Kollidam — Keelanai Paasana Vivasayigal Sangam, hundreds of farmers drawn from Chidambaram and Kattumannarkoil blocks set out in a convoy of vehicles and gathered in front of the NLC office at Neyveli.
They raised slogans decrying the defying attitude of the Karnataka government. Because of the intransigent attitude adopted by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu had already lost the kuruvai crop. The delay in water release would also make the prospects of samba bleak, said P. Vinayagamoorthy, president of the Sangam.
He further said that the adamancy of the Karnataka government was not in conformity with the federal set-up nor was in the mutual interests of the riparian States.
The Sangam also raised slogans against indiscriminate exploitation of the aquifers. Mr. Vinayagamoorthy further said that as the NLC was continuously pumping out large quantum of water from the mines the subsurface water level was fast depleting. Therefore, to recharge the groundwater, the Sangam urged the NLC to set aside one year’s profit for construction of barrages.
