The Tamil Nadu government will soon approach the Supreme Court for the formation of the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority, which would ensure water release by Karnataka, the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, said on Saturday. She was hopeful that the Delta areas would get water for irrigation when there was enough rainfall in the catchment areas of the Cauvery.
The Cauvery Supervisory Committee, which met for the second time in New Delhi on Thursday, concluded its deliberations without conceding Tamil Nadu’s demand for water release for Kuruvai cultivation and decided to review the position at its next meeting in the first week of July.
The Chief Secretary, Sheela Balakrishnan, reiterated Tamil Nadu’s demand for water release as per the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and constitution of the two regulatory bodies.
Explaining the steps taken by her government to get water for irrigation in the Cauvery, Ms. Jayalalithaa said in a statement that a decision on the Kuruvai crop could be taken only on the basis of rainfall in catchment areas of the Cauvery and the water received in Mettur dam, as the storage now in the dam was at 3.45 tmcft. She pointed out that planting of saplings had commenced in the Delta districts, following rain in the last few days.
Planting would be taken up over one lakh acres, she added.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said that adequate rainfall in catchment areas, coupled with the steps taken by the State government, would result in the release of water to the Delta districts as per the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and lead to expansion of area under Kuruvai cultivation.
