Tamil Nadu CM to take delegation to PM Modi over Cauvery

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami will soon lead a delegation of all-party leaders, representatives of farmers associations and MPs from the state to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and impress upon him the need for immediate constitution of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority (CWRA).

On February 16, the Supreme Court reduced Tamil Nadu's share of the river water to 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft), down from 192 tmcft allocated by a tribunal in 2007. The court also ordered the constitution of the CMB and the CWRA within six weeks.

A decision to this effect was taken at the all-party meeting attended by 35 political parties and 14 farmers' associations chaired by the Chief Minister at the Secretariat here on Thursday.

The government also decided to agree on the total demands that had been made by all parties and consult with legal experts to take appropriate action on the reduction of the state water share.

Earlier, Palaniswami urged all parties to shed their differences and unite to secure the state's rights in the Cauvery river water dispute with neighbouring Karnataka. "This issue is part of every person in the state," he said. Most of the parties and the farmers' representatives demanded the government put pressure on the Centre to constitute the CMB and to challenge the reduction in the state's share of waters.

Leader of the Opposition and DMK working president MK Stalin said that the state government should form a separate ministry for water resources and also come out with a separate budget for agriculture. He said the government should form a Water Security Board to oversee saving of the Cauvery river water and its prudent use.

Decisions Taken

• A decision was taken at the all-party meeting attended by 35 political parties and 14 farmers’ associations 
• The govt also decided to agree on the total demands and consult with legal experts