Tamil Nadu, Karnataka on boil over Cauvery

This comes a day after  Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah told a delegation of farmers of the state’s inability to release water to Tamil Nadu for irrigation purposes, leading to calls for agitation in the delta districts. In the apex court, a bench headed by Chief Justice T S Thakur posted the matter for September 2 after Tamil Nadu government mentioned it and sought an urgent hearing. In the petition, the state has sought the court’s intervention to ensure that Karnataka adhered to the stipulated water releases in accordance with the 2007 order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal for the remaining months, starting from August 20 in the irrigation year of 2016-2017.

Meanwhile, in Tiruchy, an atmosphere of consternation prevailed in most of the Delta districts, with farmers accusing Karnataka of not releasing water although Karnataka’s reservoirs’ had 90% storage of water in its reservoirs. 

Representatives of the farmers associations urged the Tamil Nadu MP delegation to meet the Prime Minister and press upon Karnataka to release water. 

In a related development, criticizing the Karnataka government on Thursday for releasing  40 tmcft of water to TN over the last three months while depriving farmers of water in Cauvery basin, state JD(S) president H.D. Kumaraswamy warned of a  possible spurt in farmer suicides in Mandya district.