The Hindu : Front Page : Tamil Nadu seeks 562 tmcft of Cauvery water

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 10, 2005

Front Page

Front Page

Tamil Nadu seeks 562 tmcft of Cauvery water

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI, FEB. 9. The Tamil Nadu Government has urged the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal to pass a final award allocating 562 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) of water as its share from the river Cauvery to meet the irrigation, domestic and industrial requirements in the State.

This demand was made during the final stages of arguments before the Tribunal comprising its Chairman, Justice N.P. Singh and Members, N.S. Rao and Sudhiar Narain.

Detailed chart

Submitting a detailed chart on the availability of water in the Cauvery river basin and the requirement of each State in the basin, Tamil Nadu said that the available waters were not sufficient to meet the demands of all the States and that the Tribunal should prioritise the demand. While doing so the Tribunal must take into consideration the irrigation area developed up to 1924; the area developed between 1924 and 1974 as per the agreement; the area contemplated by the agreement but developed after 1974 and before 1990; and the potential irrigation area created thereafter.

If these factors were taken into consideration, the projected total requirement of Tamil Nadu would be 562 tmc ft of water. (The Tribunal in June 1991 passed an interim award of 205 tmc ft of water as Tamil Nadu's share.)

For Karnataka, the demand based on scientific assessment had been shown to be 175 tmc ft, which would include the requirement of water for irrigation, drinking purposes, domestic and industrial use. Similarly, for Kerala the requirement would be 8.32 tmc ft and 7.266 tmc ft for Pondicherry.

Tamil Nadu has made it clear that the two agreements of 1892 and 1924 were valid and binding, just and reasonable and should form the basis of apportionment. It pointed out that the Indus Commission, Krishna and Narmada water disputes tribunals had all protected the existing irrigation and had applied the principle of equitable apportionment and the Cauvery Tribunal should follow the same principle.

Charge against Karnataka

Tamil Nadu alleged that all the ongoing projects in Karnataka were without the concurrence of the riparian States as well as the Centre. It had resorted to indiscriminate increase in the area under paddy and perennial crops. Further these projects were in utter violation of not only the valid and binding agreements of 1892 and 1924 but also in utter disregard to the principles of equitable apportionment.

It must be noted that Karnataka had conceived the various projects to utilise the entire yield at the dam site so that no water would flow to the main river to meet the age-old irrigation. Moreover these projects had been planned for paddy in areas not suitable for paddy cultivation.

Tamil Nadu wanted the Tribunal to prevent Karnataka from expanding minor irrigation areas and to evolve a suitable mechanism to regulate the main irrigation areas. The State should also be asked to avoid growing summer paddy and rabi semi dry crops. Though Tamil Nadu was to conclude its final arguments tomorrow, the Tribunal said it would be sitting only in the forenoon tomorrow and hence Tamil Nadu is expected to wind up its arguments on February 21.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News Update

Stories in this Section

Supreme Court seeks police report on Geelani attack

Cabinet nod for talks on gas pipelines

It is good news, says Pakistan

Manmohan to visit Sri Lanka in March

Tendulkar is still lord of the manor

Sania enters quarterfinals

Prime accused killed

Nanavati Commission report on 1984 anti-Sikh riots submitted

Tamil Nadu seeks 562 tmcft of Cauvery water

Girija Vyas new NCW chairperson

Telecast rights: BCCI's assurance to court

Contributions to The Hindu Relief Fund