Charging that the Central government has been a mute spectator whenever Karnataka fails to honour the verdicts of both Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) as well as the Supreme Court on sharing Cauvery water with its lower riparian State of Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday told the Union government not to play the proverbial King Nero on Cauvery water issue.
Speaking at the meeting of the Cauvery River Authority chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his residence in New Delhi, the Chief Minister pointed out that on many occasions the Centre had turned a Nelson’s eye to Tamil Nadu’s requests for the release of Cauvery water during distress periods.
“The implications of impounding an inter-State river by an upper riparian State, in utter disregard of judicial pronouncements, will be far reaching and will affect the very roots of federalism especially if the Central government behaves like proverbial Nero who was fiddling wile Rome was burning,” the CM said.
Jayalalithaa told the Prime Minister that Tamil Nadu, as a lower riparian State, had had to endure untold misery to get its lawful and entitled share of Cauvery water over the years, pitted against the recalcitrant Karnataka which had been proclaiming that it had all the right to Cauvery water till its reservoirs were full.
Recalling the verdict of CWDT that during the crucial months of June, July, August and September, a total release of 137 tmcft of Cauvery water into Mettur dam by Karnataka, breaking it down into monthly and weekly schedules, the CM said, “I am saddened to say that this part of the Order is repeatedly violated by Karnataka.”
“The stand of Karnataka that the total volume of water to be released will be computed at the end of December is inhuman and is grave injustice to the rights of the lower riparian States. I am also pained to point out that the Centre does not monitor this crucial aspect of caliberated release of water by Karnataka which has already resulted in the loss of one crop this year,” Jayalalithaa said.
Pointing out that the current situation in Cauvery basin is extremely critical, the CM said Mettur dam had a storage of about 45 tmcft of water which was barely sufficient for 30 days, whereas the main reservoirs in Karnataka had about 80 per cent of their total gross capacity. “If the north-east monsoon plays truant as did the south-west monsoon, the entire hopes and aspirations of the Delta farmers will be dashed,” she added.
The CM also urged the PM to approve the Distress Sharing Formula in this meeting itself and the water already due to Tamil Nadu should be ordered to be released forthwith. Further, she requested the PM to direct Karnataka government to furnish the project-wise area irrigated annually, to monitor whether it had exceeded this stipulation made in the Interim Order of the CWDT which is in force now.
Comments
0 comment