The Union Territory of Puducherry on Tuesday joined Tamil Nadu's plea in the Supreme Court for a direction to the Karnataka government to immediately release 57 TMC of Cauvery river water.
Puducherry (Pondicherry) said it would receive its share of 7 TMC of Cauvery water only if Karnataka releases water at Billigundulu so that it may reach the Mettur Dam without further delay.
The Union Territory said the release of this water is the sole way to save the standing crops and for samba crop at Karaikal region of Puducherry.
“The Union Territory of Pondicherry is allotted seven TMC of water to enable them to cultivate 43,000 acres of land in the Karaikal Region of Pondicherry. This water was not released by Tamil Nadu for the benefit of Pondicherry since their water level in Mettur Dam is too low to release any water to Karaikal Region of Pondicherry. Generally, water allotted to Pondicherry is initially received from Karnataka by Tamil Nadu in their Mettur Dam as Pondicherry does not have a dam to reserve the water as and when it comes,” Puducherry government's application, filed by advocate V.G. Pragasm and settled by senior advocate A.S. Nambiar, submitted.
The Supreme Court on Friday last had agreed to post for hearing on September 2, 2016, Tamil Nadu government's plea for an urgent judicial direction to Karnataka government to release 50.052 TMC feet of Cauvery water from its reservoirs to feed the agricultural lands of Tamil Nadu in the “interest of justice”.
Tamil Nadu government has accused neighbouring Karnataka of diverting precious river water meant to be a life-saver for Tamil Nadu farmers during distress years for undeclared projects in violation of the final orders of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in 2007.
Tamil Nadu's application, drawn by advocate G. Umpathy and filed by advocate B. Balaji, contended that it has not received 10 daily/monthly releases of Cauvery water for the months from June 1 to August 19, 2016, causing a cumulative shortfall of 50.052 TMC ft. at Billigundulu.
Tamil Nadu has sought the apex court's intervention to ensure that Karnataka adheres to the stipulated releases of Cauvery water in accordance to the 2007 tribunal order for the remaining months, starting from August 20, 2016, in the irrigation year of 2016-2017. This would at least protect the interests of the Tamil Nadu farmers who depend on Cauvery.
The application also sought a direction to Karnataka to immediately make good the 25 TMC ft. of water at Billigundulu out of the shortfall of 50 TMC ft. within the next 10 days so as to commence the samba cultivation in the Cauvery basin of Tamil Nadu.
It asked the court to direct Karnataka to replenish the remaining shortfall of 25 TMC ft. of water at Billigundulu before the third week of September so as to sustain the samba cultivation in the Cauvery basin of Tamil Nadu.
