TN Cong chief urges Karnataka to release Cauvery water immediately
Chennai, July 29 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president and Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore on Wednesday urged the Karnataka government to immediately implement the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) order directing the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, warning that any attempt to delay or challenge the directive would deepen tensions between the two neighbouring states.
In a post on X, Tagore criticised Karnataka Water Resources Minister K. Ramalinga Reddy’s statement that the state would appeal against the CWRC’s latest order and that it was not in a position to release water to Tamil Nadu.
He said such remarks were “irresponsible” and served only to create unnecessary discord between the two states at a time when cooperation was essential.
The Congress leader said Tamil Nadu’s Kuruvai cultivation had already suffered due to inadequate water availability and warned that the forthcoming Samba crop would also be at risk unless Cauvery water was released without further delay.
“Water must be released immediately. The Karnataka government should implement the CWRC order in letter and spirit without any excuses,” Tagore said, stressing that farmers in the Cauvery delta were anxiously awaiting water to sustain agricultural operations.
The CWRC on Tuesday directed Karnataka to release 4 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu at a rate of 3,500 cusecs per day for 15 days from July 29.
Karnataka has, however, indicated that it is considering filing an appeal before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), citing drought conditions and limited storage in its reservoirs.
Referring to the latest water-sharing data, Tagore claimed that Tamil Nadu had received only 3.543 tmcft of water against the scheduled allocation of 35.391 tmcft as of July 26.
According to him, this represented barely 10.01 per cent of the quantity due, leaving the state with a cumulative shortfall of 9.46 tmcft during the current water year.
He said the implementation of judicial and statutory orders governing the Cauvery dispute was essential for preserving the spirit of India’s federal structure.
Respecting legally binding awards and directions, he added, was the only way to ensure equitable water sharing and maintain harmony between the riparian states.
Tagore appealed to the Karnataka government to honour the CWRC’s directive without further delay, saying the livelihoods of thousands of farmers in Tamil Nadu depended on the timely release of Cauvery water.
–IANS
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