Cauvery Delta farmers and political parties in Tamil Nadu have welcomed the final award of the Cauvery Water disputes tribunal.
CHENNAI: Cauvery Delta farmers and political parties in Tamil Nadu have welcomed the final award of the Cauvery Water disputes tribunal which allocated 419 TMC ft of water in a 'normal' year to the state.
TNCC President M Krishnasamy said the award would "remove the mental torture of the delta farmers".
The award would fulfill the needs of the farmers, whose cultivation was totally dependent on Cauvery water, he said adding the award was not a victory or defeat of any of the concerned states - Tamil Nadu and Karnataka - as it was based on the principles of justice.
CPI leader D Pandiyan said the award would remove misgivings of the people of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka on the matter, as it was based on a scientific assessment of water availability in the river.
The Centre should appoint an authority to implement the award, he said.
Describing the award as "deficit budgeting by a Finance Minister," Cauvery Delta Farmers association general secretary S Ranganathan told PTI over phone from Mannargudi in Tiruvarur district that the award was an improvement over the assessors report which went into the water availability.
While the report gave only 395 and 250 TMC ft to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka respectively, the final award gave 419 and 270 TMC ft to these states, which was a "very equitable distribution," he said.
Ranganathan, who moved the Supreme Court in 1972 seeking a direction to the Centre for constituting a tribunal, said the final award had taken into consideration the availability of water on a scientific basis. The distress sharing formula has also been suggested in the award, he said.
Prof. Janakarajan, convener of Cauvery Family, a forum of farmers of both states, said the final verdict "is not much different from the interim award".
The implementation and distribution of water, especially between July and September, would be very crucial for both states.
"The family will discuss the award at length during its committee meeting by the end of February or early March in Chennai," he said.
The farmers could raise their grievances and suggestions at the meeting which would also decide on the future course of action, he said.
Meanwhile, a Madurai report said Janata Dal (S) Tamil Nadu unit welcomed the final verdict of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
State general secretary K John Moses, in a release here said, "It is a good order and should be implemented expeditiously by Tamil Nadu. That is the compulsion of the time. The Karnataka government should also accept the verdict and pave the way for the unity between the people of the two states".
The respective state governments "should not hesitate" in curbing activities of "anti-social" elements who could create problems and "hatred" between both states in the aftermath of the verdict, he said.
The UPA Government should act fast in implementing the order, "setting aside narrow politics and parochialism". He urged the Centre and the Karnataka government to give proper protection to the Tamils in that state.
Speaking to reporters at nearby Tirumangalam, MDMK leader Vaiko recalled the violence in Karnataka after the interim award in 1991, when the properties of Tamils were looted and many were killed in the riots. "The state and Central governments should take steps to protect the Tamils in Karnataka", he said.
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