Shortfall in TN's Cauvery river water share: CM Jayalalithaa writes to PM Narendra Modi

CHENNAI: Charging Karnataka with wilful default in releasing Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has sought the Centre's intervention to ensure that the upper riparian state complied with the final order of the tribunal in this regard.

"Instead of releasing our legitimate share as per the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, Karnataka continues to utilise all the water in its reservoirs as if it owns the Cauvery river, with scant regard to the plight of the farmers in Tamil Nadu," she said.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said that as against the stipulated quantum of 94 tmc to be released by Karnataka in the last three months, "only a meagre" 66.443 tmc ft had been realised by Tamil Nadu as on August 31 last, leaving "a huge shortfall of 27.557 TMC ft."

There was "wilful default" on part of Karnataka by "not adhering to the schedule of release of Cauvery water" as stipulated by the tribunal, she said in the Sept 4 dated letter, a copy of which was released to media here today.

Noting that Mettur dam could not be opened on the scheduled date of June 12 for raising Kurvai crop due to this, she said water was being released only from August 9 with the available quantity of 60.411 tmc to enable farmers in Cauvery delta raise at least the long-term samba paddy crop.

Agricultural operations were in full swing and water had to be continuously supplied to the delta districts till January, 2016, for the sustenance of the Samba crop, she said.

Noting that the storage in Mettur Dam as of yesterday was only 50.552 TMC, she said the inflow continued to dwindle. However, Karnataka has enough storage in its four major reservoirs and had been releasing water from July, 2015, for its irrigation, she said.

Seeking Modi's 'personal intervention' in the matter, Jayalalithaa also reiterated her demand for the formation of the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee for giving effect to the tribunal's order.