Chennai, August 19: The National South Indian Reverse Interlinking Farmers Association, led by state president P. Ayakannu, has requested a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu on September 4. The farmers aim to demand ₹1 lakh crore in compensation from Karnataka, accusing the state of withholding water from the Cauvery River, which has led to severe drought conditions for farmers in Tamil Nadu.
In an interview, Ayakannu stated, “According to the Constitution and Supreme Court directives, Tamil Nadu provides water to Karnataka from the Cauvery River every month. However, Karnataka refuses to comply. As a result, all categories of farmers—large, small, and marginal—are suffering from drought.”
He added that the association plans to travel to Delhi on September 4 to submit a memorandum to President Murmu, demanding compensation for the alleged failure of the Karnataka government to release water in accordance with regulations and laws.
“We have already sent a letter requesting permission to meet the President… Compensation should be provided to prevent farmers in Tamil Nadu from resorting to suicide,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, water levels in Tamil Nadu’s reservoirs have significantly dropped due to a weak southwest monsoon and unusually high temperatures, putting pressure on the state’s water resources.
As of Monday, the 90 reservoirs monitored by the Water Resources Department held a total of 83.124 thousand million cubic feet (TMCFT) of water, which is only 37.05% of their total capacity of 224.343 TMCFT.
This situation is considerably worse compared to last year, when the reservoirs contained 189.545 TMCFT of water during the same period.
The current volume is less than half of last year’s levels, highlighting the severity of the rainfall deficit and raising concerns about the availability of irrigation and drinking water in several districts.
Only the Gundar reservoir in the Tenkasi district has reached its full capacity of 18.43 million cubic feet. Most other reservoirs are significantly below their storage limits.
Of the 90 reservoirs, 58 have less than 25% storage, 14 have between 26% and 50%, 15 have between 51% and 76%, and only two have surpassed the 80% mark. In the Cauvery delta, the crucial Mettur reservoir had 43.275 TMCFT of water on Monday, which is 46.30% of its total capacity of 93.470 TMCFT.
–
Leave a Comment