Ministers K.N. Nehru, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, T.R.B. Rajaa, and Siva V. Meyyanathan jointly released water from Kallanai on Tuesday. Minister K. N. Nehru highlighted that the Union Government has not approved the Mekedatu project, countering Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s claim that Tamil Nadu is releasing Cauvery water into the sea. Nehru reiterated Tamil Nadu’s entitlement to its share of Cauvery water. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has urged the Union Government to prevent the construction of a dam at Mekedatu, and the Union Government has confirmed that it has not granted consent.
The State government’s plan to fill waterbodies in Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery Basin using water from the Stanley Reservoir has caused concern among Delta farmers who rely on the Cauvery river supply for their kuruvai crop. Despite their initial joy when Mettur dam’s storage exceeded 100 feet, the priority was given to filling lakes and ponds to ensure water availability for samba and thaladi seasons, Nehru stated. The initial release from the Grand Anicut would be 1500 cusecs into the Cauvery, 1000 cusecs into the Vennar, 500 cusecs into the Grand Anicut Canal, and 400 cusecs into the Coleroon river, subject to adjustment based on inflow levels at Mettur.
Farmers’ representatives, such as ‘Kakkarai’ Sugumaran and V. Jeevakumar, expressed their dissatisfaction during the water release event at Kallanai, urging a more substantial release into the Cauvery, Vennar, and Grand Anicut networks. They argued that 10,000 to 15,000 cusecs into the Cauvery and Vennar, and around 5,000 cusecs into the Grand Anicut Canal, would address the dry borewells and parched riverbeds in the Delta region. They emphasized that releasing insufficient water would not meet the irrigation demands for samba, thaladi, and kuruvai crops, especially given last year’s irrigation challenges due to low Mettur storage.
Original Story https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/union-government-has-not-given-consent-for-mekedatu-project-k-n-nehru/article68468301.ece
Category : Tiruchirapalli
Tags:
