SC order on Cauvery board brings cheers to TN delta farmers

Welcoming the Supreme Court's direction to the Centre to constitute Cauvery Management Board (CMB) in four weeks, delta farmers in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday said that it was a huge victory not only for the state but also for them since they had been waiting for over a decade for the order.

Farmers in the Cauvery delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Trichy and Nagapattinam districts, however, said the four-week time limit given by the Apex Court for establishing the CMB is too long as the season for Samba cultivation will be over by then. Consortium of Cauvery Delta Farmers general secretary V Sathyanarayanan of Trichy told DH, “Since four weeks is too long to form CMB, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should see our situation and constitute the Board immediately.”

Delta farmers also welcomed the Supreme Court’s direction to Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu daily till September 27. They, however said the quantum of water to be released will not be sufficient to cultivate Samba crop this season.

“Each and every day is vital for us. Karnataka has to release minimum 20,000 cusecs continuously, only then Tamil Nadu can release at least 18,000 cusecs for  farmers from the Mettur dam so that we would complete our Samba cultivation activities successfully,” Sathyanarayanan said.