Merely issuing direction to Karnataka govt. won’t suffice, say delta farmers

While appreciating the stand taken by the Cauvery Water Management Authority, a section of farmers in the delta region has contended that merely issuing a direction to release water from dams in Karnataka as per the Cauvery tribunal’s order would not suffice.

The Authority should ensure that water was released into the Cauvery from Karnataka’s dams to save the lower riparian region of the Cauvery basin from becoming barren, the farmers said.

Expressing his displeasure over the outcome of the meeting, P.R. Pandian, chairman of the Tamil Nadu All Farmers’ Associations Coordination Committee, sought to know whether the Authority had taken any steps to ascertain whether the Karnataka government had complied with its previous direction. The quantum of water measured at the Zero Point in Biligundlu was nothing but rainwater from the catchment areas upstream of the Cauvery, he said, adding that it would not be fair to include this in the quantum of water expected to be released from dams in Karnataka.

P. Chinnadurai, vice-president, Thanjavur District Cauvery Farmers’ Protection Association, and Swami Natarajan, State secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, said that apart from issuing directions to the Karnataka government, the Cauvery Water Management Authority should ensure that the upper riparian State complied with them. A mechanism should be put in place such that the water realised at the dams in Karnataka was shared among the riparian States as per the Tribunal’s order.

Mannargudi S. Ranganathan, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Association, blamed global warming for the current situation. Arupathy P. Kalyanam, of the Federation of Farmers’ Associations of Delta Districts, said the directive would be of no use. The situation would ease only if Karnataka desisted from cultivating water-intensive crops during summer, he added.