CHENNAI: Chief minister M K Stalin on Friday urged the Centre to ensure that Karnataka releases Tamil Nadu’s share of Cauvery water as per the monthly schedule stipulated by the Supreme Court.
On Saturday, the CM is to open Mettur reservoir’s sluice gates for short-term paddy cultivation in Cauvery delta districts.
“As per the judgment, we are to receive 9.19tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water in June and 31.24tmcft in July.
I request you to take necessary steps, to advise the Cauvery Water Management Authority to ensure the realization of water as per the monthly schedule,” Stalin wrote to Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat.
Earlier in the day, Stalin had inspected the modernisation work at Grand Anicut (Kallanai) in Thanjavur and desilting of canals in Thanjavur and Trichy.
In the evening, he reached Salem and participated in the ‘Ungal Thoguthiyil Muthalamaichar’ programme.
A statement said that 1,100 petitions received under the programme have been resolved in Salem district.
Stalin said Mettur reservoir was being opened for delta irrigation on the customary date of June 12 on the assumption that TN would receive Cauvery water as per the monthly schedule fixed by Supreme Court.
The delta districts do not benefit much from the south west monsoon and the short-term kuruvai crop is dependent on Cauvery water.
“Hence any shortfall in release of water will severely impact the standing crop,” he said As the Cauvery delta gears up to receive water from Mettur, the CM accompanied by his cabinet colleagues including water resources minister Duraimurugan inspected the Rs1,036 crore renovation work at Grand Anicut.
Launched by the previous AIADMK government, Prime minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project in February this year.
The project envisages extension, renovation and modernisation of 636 km of the Grand Anicut canal system, which will benefit 2.27 lakh of acres in Thanjavur and Pudukkottai districts.
The CM visited Mudhali Mutha Vari at Vallam, Vennaru at Palli Agraharam in Thanjavur before reaching Kodiyalam in Trichy and inspecting canals desilted under a ₹65crore project to benefit 4,061km of canals.