Chennai, July 24:
DMK chief MK Stalin on Thursday strongly urged the Tamil Nadu government to take immediate and decisive action to secure Cauvery water for the state and provide relief to distressed farmers in the delta region.
In a statement, Stalin questioned the “silence” of the state government on the Cauvery issue and asked why the Chief Minister had not personally met the Prime Minister to submit the Assembly resolution opposing the Mekedatu dam project.
Highlighting the worsening situation, he said farmers in the Cauvery delta are facing a severe crisis, with both Kuruvai and Samba crops under threat due to inadequate water supply. As per the Supreme Court’s final verdict, Tamil Nadu is entitled to 28.3 TMC of Cauvery water, but only 3.4 TMC has been released so far, making it impossible to open the Mettur dam on the scheduled date of June 12.
He pointed out that the Cauvery Water Management Authority has repeatedly postponed decisions on releasing water to Tamil Nadu, despite the urgency of the situation. Even in its recent meetings, the authority advised states to use available water only for drinking purposes and deferred decisions on water release, causing further distress to farmers.
Stalin also noted that the Supreme Court had earlier observed that Karnataka’s refusal to release Cauvery water amounts to contempt of court. However, he alleged that the authority has failed to act decisively, prolonging the crisis.
Criticising the state government, he said neither the Chief Minister nor the Water Resources Minister had taken adequate steps, nor had officials actively pursued the issue with their Karnataka counterparts or the Union government.
He further accused the government of failing to follow up on the Assembly resolution against the Mekedatu dam and questioned its priorities, asking why it was hesitant to assert Tamil Nadu’s rights.
Calling for urgent intervention, Stalin urged the Chief Minister to break his silence, approach the Supreme Court if necessary, and take “war-footing measures” to secure the state’s rightful share of Cauvery water.
He also demanded that the government immediately announce a new relief package for farmers affected by crop losses, warning that without swift action, the livelihoods of delta farmers would be pushed into deeper crisis.