Opinion seems to be divided among farmers’ organisations on the suggestion that the Tamil Nadu government should build a reservoir across the River Cauvery at Rasimanal.
The Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers’ Association led by its general secretary P. R. Pandian in recent days has been pushing for the construction of the reservoir across Cauvery at Rasimanal in Tamil Nadu instead of Mekedatu and meeting political leaders in an attempt to build a “consensus.” He also held discussions on the Cauvery issue with a few farmers representatives from Karnataka in Thanjavur recently.
A few farmers associations and other organisations too had supported construction of a dam at Rasimanal. However, a section of farmers’ associations in the delta region have expressed apprehensions that this could end up playing into the hands of Karnataka which has been persisting with its efforts to build a balancing reservoir across Cauvery at Mekedatu.
“Karnataka is keen to prevent the surplus water flowing into Tamil Nadu and that is why it is insisting on building a dam across Mekedatu. Karnataka may agree to building a dam at Rasimanal as a quid pro quo for it being allowed to construct a reservoir at Mekedatu. No dam should be allowed to be built either at Mekedatu or Rasimanal,” said Mahadhanapuram V. Rajaram, president, Cauvery Irrigation Farmers’ Welfare Association, in a statement.
The veteran farmers’ leader said it was important to guard against weakening the struggle against Karnataka’s attempts to build a dam at Mekedatu. He urged individuals not to press for building a dam at Rasimanal without consulting the State government. “Let Chief Minister M. K. Stalin return from the United States; let us fight along with the government against building a dam at Mekedatu,” he said.
The suggestion (to build a dam at Rasimanal) would only work in favour of Karnataka, contended Cauvery Dhanapalan, president, Tamil Nadu Vivasaya Sangankalin Kootamaippu. The proposal to build a dam at Rasimanal was abandoned long ago as it would not be of much benefit to Tamil Nadu, he maintained.
Farmers’ organisations, should instead, press for the construction of barrages across the Kollidam and Cauvery rivers in Tamil Nadu to store the surplus flows. Mr. Rajaram also felt that farmers’ organisations should instead press for the speedy execution of the Cauvery-Vaigai-Gundar rivers inter-linking project.
Speaking at a seminar on “Water self-sufficient Tamil Nadu” in Tiruchi recently, the State Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Senior PWD Engineers Association (TANSEA), A.Veerappan, questioned the rationale behind constructing a dam at Rasimanal. The association largely comprises retired engineers of the Public Works Department.
Speaking to The Hindu on Thursday, Mr. Veerappan, a former Special Chief Engineer of the PWD, said that TANSEA had done a “preliminary investigation” at Rasimanal. The village is near Karnataka. “Even if we construct a dam for a height of 10 metres with half a tmc (thousand million cubic feet) capacity, the water spread area will touch Karnataka. If we increase the height further, a major portion of the water spread area of the dam will be in Karnataka. We will only be providing water to Karnataka at our cost if we were to build a dam at Rasimanal,” he claimed.
Published - September 05, 2024 06:45 pm IST
