Set up monitoring mechanism on Cauvery issue: Jaya

CHENNAI: Stepping up pressure on the Cauvery water issue, Tamil Nadu government today said it was "absolutely" essential on the part of the Centre to put in place a monitoring mechanism to ensure that the state gets its rightful share of water during the year.

"Government of Karnataka is in the habit of depleting the storages from its four reservoirs -- Krishnarajasagar, Kabini, Hemavathy and Harangi during the summer months besides utilising the inflows into the reservoirs during the period," Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said in her second letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after the Centre notified the final award on February 20.

Noting summer showers in the catchment areas of the Cauvery basin in Karnataka would start in third week of April, she said Karnataka, as in the past, would continue to utilise the flows for summer irrigation without conserving it for the releases as prescribed in the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

She said Karnataka should adhere to the "irrigation season" from June 1 to January 31 as stipulated in the final order and should not be allowed to deplete the storages for summer irrigation.

"Therefore, it is absolutely essential that a monitoring mechanism is put in place by the first week of May so that Tamil Nadu's rights are protected from the ensuing irrigation year 2013-14," Jayalalithaa said.

She urged the Prime Minister to order Water Resources Ministry to ensure that the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee were put in place to implement the final order in "letter and spirit."