TN seeks Jal Shakti ministry help to end Cauvery war with Karnataka

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan on Thursday called on Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum, urging Union government to resolve the long-standing issue of Karnataka not releasing Cauvery water as per the monthly schedule fixed by the Supreme Court.

The memonrandum stressed that the Union government should never permit the upper riparian state to construct a new dam across Cauvery at Mekedatu, besides highlighting other demands of TN related to water.

“It is a courtesy call. New ministers have assumed office. So, I called on them and reiterated our demands,” Duraimurugan told reporters after meeting Patil. Union Ministers of State for Jal Shakti V Somanna and Raj Bhushan Choudhary were also present during the meeting. The TN minister urged union minister to direct Cauvery Water Management Authority to determine a scientific formula for water-sharing during distress periods.

Responding to a question, Duraimurugan said Karnataka never honoured the directives of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal as well as the Supreme Court regarding the release of water to Tamil Nadu. “It is indeed a chronic problem,” he said, adding that he has explained the issues in detail to the ministers.

When asked whether TN Chief Minister MK Stalin would meet his Karnataka counterpart to resolve the issue, the minister indicated that talks at this stage will push TN back to square one. He added that the issue took a legal turn only after several rounds of talks were held.

The memorandum said Kerala has not cooperated with Tamil Nadu in carrying out the works to strengthen the baby dam and other structures along the Mullaiperiyar dam as per the orders of the Supreme Court in 2006 and 2014. The Jal Shakti Minister should urge the Kerala government to grant permission for the work soon, the DMK minister urged.

Another demand submitted was the speedy approval for expeditious implementation of the Cauvery-Gundar Link Canal Scheme, through which the surplus water from Cauvery during flood can be diverted from Mayanur to drought-prone areas in southern districts of Pudukottai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar. For the preliminary works, the TN government sanctioned 6,941 crore and so far, the State spent245.21 crore, the memorandum highlighted, and sought approval for further works.

The memorandum also reiterated the Tamil Nadu government’s demand for establishing an Inter-State River Water Disputes Tribunal to resolve a dispute with Karnataka over the Pennaiyar River. It further read that expeditious steps are needed to implement the Godavari-Krishna-Pennar-Palar-Cauvery link project.

When reporters asked Duraimurugan whether Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin would meet his Karnataka counterpart to resolve the issue, the minister indicated that talks at this stage will push TN back to square one. The issue took a legal turn only after several rounds of talks, he said.