Text of the D.O. Letter dated 04.09.2015 addressed by Honble Chief Minister to Honble Prime Minister on the willful default by the Government of Karnataka in not adhering to the schedule of release of Cauvery water
Text of the D.O. Letter dated 04.09.2015 addressed by Selvi J Jayalalithaa, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India is reproduced below:-
I write this letter to bring to your kind attention, the wilful default by the Government of Karnataka in not adhering to the schedule of release of Cauvery water as stipulated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in its Final Order dated 5.2.2007.
The Government of Karnataka, which is the upper riparian State, is duty bound to ensure the stipulated monthly flows in 10 daily intervals during every water year, as per the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, dated 5.2.2007. As you are aware, the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal has been notified by the Government of India on 19.2.2013, giving it the status of a decree of the Supreme Court.
On account of Karnataka’s default, Mettur Reservoir could not be opened on the scheduled date of 12th June, 2015, during this year for the farmers to raise the Kuruvai Crop in the Cauvery Delta.
However, the Mettur Reservoir was opened on 9.8.2015 with the available quantity of 60.411 TMC ft to enable the farmers to raise at least one single Samba Crop and the agricultural operations are in full swing. Therefore, water has to be continuously supplied in the Cauvery fed Districts in Tamil Nadu till January, 2016, for the sustenance of the Samba crop. The storage in Mettur Reservoir as on 4.9.2015
is only 50.552 TMC ft. and the inflow continues to dwindle. However, Karnataka has enough storage in its 4 major Reservoirs and has been releasing water from July, 2015, for its irrigation.
I would like to bring to your notice that, as against the quantity of 94 TMC ft. of water due to Tamil Nadu at Billigundulu as per the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, as on 31.8.2015, only a meagre quantity of 66.443 TMC ft. has been realised. Thus, there is a huge shortfall of 27.557 TMC ft.
Instead of releasing our legitimate share as per the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, Karnataka continues to utilise all the water in its Reservoirs as if it owns the Cauvery river with scant regard to the plight of the farmers in Tamil Nadu.
I, therefore, seek your personal intervention in the matter and request you to advise the Government of Karnataka to make good the shortfall of about 27.557 TMC ft. of water up to 31.8.2015, and also to ensure that Karnataka releases water in conformity with the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in the coming months.
In this context, I would also like to point out that my repeated requests for the formation of the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee have not yet been acceded to by the Government of India.
May I request an immediate positive response on these issues which are of vital importance to Tamil Nadu?
Issued by: Director of Information and Public Relations, Chennai – 9
Dated: 05.09.2015
PRESS RELEASE
Text of the D.O. Letter dated 04.09.2015 addressed by Selvi J Jayalalithaa, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India is reproduced below:-
I write this letter to bring to your kind attention, the wilful default by the Government of Karnataka in not adhering to the schedule of release of Cauvery water as stipulated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in its Final Order dated 5.2.2007.
The Government of Karnataka, which is the upper riparian State, is duty bound to ensure the stipulated monthly flows in 10 daily intervals during every water year, as per the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, dated 5.2.2007. As you are aware, the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal has been notified by the Government of India on 19.2.2013, giving it the status of a decree of the Supreme Court.
On account of Karnataka’s default, Mettur Reservoir could not be opened on the scheduled date of 12th June, 2015, during this year for the farmers to raise the Kuruvai Crop in the Cauvery Delta.
However, the Mettur Reservoir was opened on 9.8.2015 with the available quantity of 60.411 TMC ft to enable the farmers to raise at least one single Samba Crop and the agricultural operations are in full swing. Therefore, water has to be continuously supplied in the Cauvery fed Districts in Tamil Nadu till January, 2016, for the sustenance of the Samba crop. The storage in Mettur Reservoir as on 4.9.2015
is only 50.552 TMC ft. and the inflow continues to dwindle. However, Karnataka has enough storage in its 4 major Reservoirs and has been releasing water from July, 2015, for its irrigation.
I would like to bring to your notice that, as against the quantity of 94 TMC ft. of water due to Tamil Nadu at Billigundulu as per the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, as on 31.8.2015, only a meagre quantity of 66.443 TMC ft. has been realised. Thus, there is a huge shortfall of 27.557 TMC ft.
Instead of releasing our legitimate share as per the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, Karnataka continues to utilise all the water in its Reservoirs as if it owns the Cauvery river with scant regard to the plight of the farmers in Tamil Nadu.
I, therefore, seek your personal intervention in the matter and request you to advise the Government of Karnataka to make good the shortfall of about 27.557 TMC ft. of water up to 31.8.2015, and also to ensure that Karnataka releases water in conformity with the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in the coming months.
In this context, I would also like to point out that my repeated requests for the formation of the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee have not yet been acceded to by the Government of India.
May I request an immediate positive response on these issues which are of vital importance to Tamil Nadu?
Issued by: Director of Information and Public Relations, Chennai – 9
Dated: 05.09.2015
