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NT Bureau
Chennai, Feb 9:

        The leader of the opposition and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalthaa today dared Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to spell out in clear terms whether he opposes or endorses the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT). She also wanted Karunanidhi to specify whether the award was in the interests of the State or not without any 'elusiveness.'

        In a release here, the former Chief Minister said her statement on the final verdict was misinterpreted by Karunanidhi. 'The Chief Minister gave a contradictory rejoinder to my statement, ' Jayalalithaa said and added she had made it clear that the final award was less by 20 tmc ft than the interim award. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), an ally of the DMK also had made this point.

        'Efforts should simultaneously be made to get the award published in the Union gazette besides going to the Supreme court to get more water,' the AIADMK chief said this is what she had been advocating and faulted Karunanidhi for 'voicing support to Karnataka,' by saying that the State would get 210 tmc ft water.

        The crux of the whole issue was determining the quantum of water that Karnataka should release and not the availability of Cauvery waters within Tamilnadu. The 25 tmc ft of water between Billigundulu and Mettur is made available 'by nature' and not Karnataka. The final verdict had given 192 tmf ft only, out of which 7 tmc goes to Puducherry leaving the State with only 185 tmc ft, Jayalalithaa said.

        'Congress is reluctant on the issue as it has a base in Karnataka, and the Leftists also approach the issue on similar lines, but why Karunanidhi should support Karnataka,' Jayalalithaa posed and alleged Chief Minister supports Karnataka considering his 'family and business welfare.'

        'Karunanidhi should get justice for the State in issues like Mullaiperiyar, Palar and Cauvery with the same alacrity it showed for getting specific portfolios in the Central goverment,' the AIADMK general secretary said and added that Cauvery was the very lifeline of the people of the State.