T.N. hands over memorandum to Union Jal Shakti Minister

Tamil Nadu Minister Duraimurugan meets Union Minister Paatil to address inter-State water disputes, including Cauvery and Mullaperiyar issues.

Tamil Nadu Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan on Thursday called on Union Minister for Jal Shakti C.R. Paatil in New Delhi and handed over a memorandum to him reiterating Tamil Nadu’s position on various inter-State water disputes, including those pertaining to Cauvery and Mullaperiyar.

The memorandum requested the Centre to advise the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to instruct Karnataka to release the prescribed quantity of water on a 10-day basis, as per the monthly schedule this water year, and not to allow the shortfall to be accumulated. It also urged the Centre to advise CWMA to evolve a scientific distress-sharing formula in a time-bound manner.

It said that the implementation of the Mekedatu project would cause grave damage to Tamil Nadu’s farming community and jeopardise the livelihood and legal rights of its people. It requested the Centre to reject Karnataka’s proposal and direct the Central Water Commission not to consider the DPR of the project. It also wanted to advise Karnataka not to make any attempt to proceed with the Mekedatu project or any other new project across Cauvery and its tributaries.

As for the Mullaperiyar issue, the memorandum urged the Centre to advise Kerala not to deny the required clearances to enable Tamil Nadu to carry out strengthening works at the dam site.

It also requested the Centre to advise Kerala to permit the conveyance of materials and machinery for “grouting the main dam, carrying out balance strengthening works and constructing the retaining wall, and to repair the Ghat Road to the dam site”.

He also requested for instructing the Negotiation Committee to submit its report early and to expedite the process of the constituting a Water Disputes Tribunal for Pennaiyar Basin. He also requested to release the pending Central share of ₹212.11 crore for the Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) projects.

Tamil Nadu also wanted proactive action to get the consensus of the concerned States so as to enable to implement the Godavari – Cauvery link on priority basis, so that southern States could reap the benefits from the inter-basin transfer of surplus / flood water. It also requested for in-principle approval to the Cauvery – Gundar Link Project and to declare it as national project and to provide funding for this project.