Flagging the “grim scenario” faced by the farmers of Cauvery delta in saving their kuruvai paddy crop, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting his immediate intervention in instructing Karnataka to release Tamil Nadu’s due share of Cauvery water, and to further clear the shortfall in June and July.
In his letter, Mr. Stalin pointed out Karnataka was not honouring the Supreme Court’s order that had fixed the share of water to be delivered to T.N., and was also not adhering to the directions of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).
In the current 2023-2024 water year, Karnataka has released only 11.6 TMC of water, as against 40.4 TMC due at Billigundulu from June 1 to July 31. “Such a huge shortfall of 28.8 TMC has been thrust on Tamil Nadu, even while Karnataka has a gross storage of 91 TMC in its four major reservoirs, against their full storage capacity of 114.6 TMC,” the CM said.
Unlike other parts of India, Tamil Nadu, particularly the Cauvery delta, receives very little rainfall during the southwest monsoon, he said. “Hence, the cultivation of Kuruvai and sowing of Samba paddy crops are fully dependent on the release of water from the Mettur Reservoir, which in turn depends solely on the flows received from Karnataka.”
But the storage position in the Mettur Reservoir of Tamil Nadu, the lifeline of Cauvery delta, has only 26.6 TMC as on August 2. After provisioning for drinking water and other essential needs, the “available water can support the standing Kuruvai crop for only 15 days more, whereas it needs water for another 45 days for maturity and optimum yield,” the letter pointed out.
The T.N. government had taken up the issue with the Union Minister for Jal Shakti on July 5 and 19 urging him to advise Karnataka to adhere to the schedule of delivery fixed by the Supreme Court and to instruct the CWMA to monitor the same, the CM recalled. A copy of the letter was shared with the media.
“However, Karnataka has not relented and except for the runoff from the fully-filled Kabini reservoir, no water has been released from its major reservoirs which are 80% full and continue to receive good inflows,” Mr. Stalin contended.
In the current scenario, wherein the Union government has already banned the export of non-basmati rice due to emerging concerns of rice shortage, “it is all the more important that the current kuruvai paddy crop in Cauvery delta and the livelihood of our farmers are saved by your urgent intervention,” Mr. Stalin said.
The CM also requested the PM to instruct the Ministry of Jal Shakti to take appropriate action to ensure the same.
