DMK working president and Opposition leader M.K. Stalin on Saturday urged the Tamil Nadu government to take steps to release water from the Mettur dam on June 12 to facilitate Kuruvai cultivation in the delta region. He also called for publishing the Cauvery water sharing formula based on the Supreme Court’s order in the gazette.
“Instead of adopting a subservient attitude, the AIADMK government should bring pressure [to bear] on the Centre to set up the Cauvery Water Management Authority with independent powers and bring all the rivers under its control,” he said in a statement.
Mr. Stalin said the creation of the Cauvery Management Authority was a victory for all sections of society.
“Though the gazette notification [on the constitution of the Cauvery Management Authority] is a victory for the people of Tamil Nadu, the release of water for Kuruvai cultivation alone would bring satisfaction among the farmers. Otherwise, there is no point in celebrating this as a grand victory,” he said.
Mr. Stalin said even though the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to form the Authority by June 1, the latter had only now published its plan to constitute the supervisory body in the gazette.
“The Authority would have 9 members, five of whom would be representatives of the Centre. Such an arrangement is unlikely to ensure independent functioning of the Authority, raising doubts about the Centre’s motives,” he said.
