The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Durai Murugan refutes Jayalalithaa's contention

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 10, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Durai Murugan refutes Jayalalithaa's contention

Special Correspondent

Sees no scope for wastage of Cauvery water

CHENNAI: In the event of Kerala not utilising the water apportioned to it by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, it will not go waste but will flow into Tamil Nadu, Public Works Minister Durai Murugan said here on Thursday.

Refuting All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Jayalalithaa's contention, Mr. Durai Murugan said given the river's course, there was no scope for wastage. Noting that a portion of catchment of the Cauvery's tributaries - Kabini, Bhavani and Amaravathi - was located in Kerala, the Minister said the total water availability of Bhavani sub-division was 78 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft). According to the Cauvery Fact Finding Committee of 1972, the availability of the Bhavani water in Kerala was 33 tmcft. Of this, Kerala had been using 1.5 tmcft for minor irrigation.

Under the pact between Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the latter was entitled to 2.5 tmcft for irrigation in Attappady. Kerala had argued that it wanted 25.3 tmcft.

Tamil Nadu was of the view that Kerala could be given 4.2 tmcft. But, the Tribunal had given six tmcft. This was not from Tamil Nadu's share. It was part of the 30 tmcft apportioned to Kerala.

As for the dependability factor, the Minister expressed the hope that there would not be any adverse effect on Tamil Nadu, even though the 50 per cent dependability factor was going to be adopted. He said the proposed regulatory authority would monitor the working of the monthly schedule of releases, broken into 10 days. Though determination of the utilisable quantum of water had been done on the basis of 50 per cent dependability, there was a provision for reducing the allocated shares proportionately in times of distress.

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