Cauvery row: Supreme court order a legal victory for Jaya

CHENNAI: The Supreme Court ruling that the Cauvery Management Board should be set up in three days is seen as a huge victory for chief minister J Jayalalithaa and her government, which has been knocking on the doors of the apex court for a permanent mechanism to resolve the problem.

Many in Tamil Nadu have praised the AIADMK leader for taking the legal route ever since it resulted in the Centre gazetting the notification of the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in February 2013. A month after the central announcement, she declared at a felicitation event organised by the farmers in delta region that she would strive for the formation of the board as outlined by the tribunal award.

Her legal and bureaucratic team endeavoured to fulfil that promise. Every possible avenue was made use of - letters, memorandums and court petitions. When the Congress-led UPA regime sought time to set up the board, the Tamil Nadu government moved the apex court again with a prayer. Its contention was that the SC-appointed supervisory committee of bureaucrats, with no technical expertise, was ineffective and met only five times in three years.

"It is a historic achievement of our leader, whose faith in the legal process and principles has benefited the farmers and the state.She has now become a role model for the entire country in safeguarding the interests of the state," said AIADMK spokesperson Naanjil Sampath, accusing BJP and Congress units of Karnataka of violating the federal structure of the country.

Farmers are elated over the court order which is a culmination of the three-decadeold struggle for a tribunal and its recommendations. "We have to appreciate the efforts of the chief minister and her resolve to get a legal remedy .The Supreme Court's order for constituting the board has raised our hope that the delta farmers will get water for kuruvai from next year," said Thanjavur district Cauvery farmers' protection association secretary Swamimalai Vimalanathan.

Having given a miss to the short-term kuruvai crop in recent years owing to non-release of water from Karnataka reservoirs, the farmers now hope that the board will ensure timely releases of Cauvery water. "The court has understood the plight of the farmers. Now, the board should act as a neutral body to decide on sharing the water for irrigation and drinking water," Bharatiya Kisan Sangam spokesperson N Veerasekaran said.