JOIN USThe opposition DMK in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should solve the Cauvery issue at the proposed meeting of chief ministers of both the states.
“Instead of Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, who is backing Karnataka in the Cauvery issue, Modi should chair the meeting and solve the issue,” DMK president M Karunanidhi said.
Claiming that Bharti had come out openly in support of Karnataka over the release of Cauvery water recently, Karunanidhi said “if she (Bharti) chairs the meeting, doubts will arise about the outcome of the deliberations.”
Noting that delta farmers in Tamil Nadu require Cauvery water for irrigation till January 28 for the samba crop, Karunanidhi said the present storage in Mettur dam would fulfil the requirement only till November 5.
“If Karnataka refuses to release water from the Cauvery, the cultivation of samba crops will be severely affected,” he said, adding “it will lead to huge loss to the farmers of the delta region.”
The DMK chief said that the Centre should ensure that Karnataka obeys the Supreme Court order in releasing Cauvery water. “It (Karnataka) should follow the orders and Centre should take steps to ensure that.”