'Govt taking all efforts to uphold TN's rights on Cauvery'

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today said her government was making all efforts to uphold the rights of the state on the Cauvery water-sharing issue and hoped it would get justice from the Supreme Court.

Replying to a motion moved by Left parties in the Assembly, she said Karnataka had been compelled to release at least some quantity of water because her government moved the court.

"My government is taking various steps to uphold Tamil Nadu's rights. Following my persistent efforts and the Supreme Court's intervention, Karnataka had been compelled to release at least some quantity of water," she said.

With short-term Kuruvai crops affected due to shortage of water due to the Cuavery stand-off, her government was taking steps to save the samba crops, she said.

"Steps are being taken to realise Tamil Nadu's rigtfull share of water from Cauvery and I am confident that we will get that through the Supreme Court," she said.

She recalled that the state had moved the apex court against Karnataka on various issues, including using Cauvery water for summer irrigation, besides getting a favourable order with the court asking the neighbouring state to implement the Cauvery River Authority order asking it to release 9,000 cusecs to the lower riparian state. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh heads CRA.

The state had again moved the Supreme Court with a contempt petition against Karnataka after it "unilaterally" stopped release of water on October 8, she said.

She also recalled the latest Cauvery Monitoring Committee ruling asking Karnataka to release 6.09 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu this month.


Charging Karnataka with "unilaterally" constructing dams on Cauvery and increasing its acreage under agriculture, Jayalalithaa said it never implemented the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's 1991 interim order of awarding 205 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu and said it had only released excess water.

The Tribunal's final verdict in 2007 had not been notified in the Central gazette despite her repeated pleas with the Centre after coming to power last year. She said she had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in person as well as through letters.

The state government had filed a case in the Supreme Court in this matter also, she said.
Besides, the Centre was yet to act on filling the Tribunal Chairman's post lying vacant, she said.