Ask Karnataka to release Cauvery water: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin tells Centre

Tamil Nadu on Saturday asked the Centre to direct Karnataka to release water from River Cauvery as per the 2018 Supreme Court verdict, while rejecting allegations levelled by the neighbouring state that it has increased the ayacut area.

An all-party delegation of MPs from the state led by Water Resources Minister Durai Murugan will meet Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Shekhawat in New Delhi regarding release of water. 

In a detailed statement, Chief Minister M K Stalin said Karnataka was not following the pro rata sharing method of Cauvery water formulated by the Supreme Court in its verdict on February 2, 2018. Tamil Nadu should have received 103.5 tmcft of water from Karnataka till September 14, but the state received just 38.4 tmcft of water, leading to a shortfall of 65.1 tmcft, Stalin claimed.

The state government decided to open the sluices of the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur on June 12 as scheduled, keeping in mind the storage (69.25 tmcft), the normal monsoon forecast by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), and the monthly water release schedule, Stalin said. 

The Chief Minister added that the state government knocked at the doors of the Supreme Court after the Cauvery Water Management Authority and Cauvery Water Regulatory Commission couldn’t ensure timely release of water.   

Meanwhile, Stalin said, the Karnataka Government wrote a letter to the Jal Shakti Minister alleging that Tamil Nadu has increased its ayacut area and that the ground water level in the Cauvery Delta Region was normal. “These are baseless allegations,” the Chief Minister said. 

“Concerned for the rightful share of Cauvery water for Tamil Nadu, a delegation of Tamil Nadu MPs from all parties led Water Resources Minister Durai Murugan will meet Union Minister of Jal Shakti and submit a memorandum requesting him to direct Karnataka to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu,” Stalin said. 

“Karnataka should honour the Supreme Court verdict “It is about justice and our state's lifeline,” the Chief Minister added. His statement come days after an all-party meeting convened by the Karnataka government decided not to release water to Tamil Nadu. 

Tamil Nadu has ruled out talks with Karnataka over the sharing of Cauvery water, contending that it was after the failure of several talks that the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal was constituted, and the Supreme Court accepted its views with slight modifications. 

While Tamil Nadu wants the monthly schedule to be adhered to without fail, Karnataka says it can release water only after catering to the needs of its people and farmers.