Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Govt. gives up on samba

By S. Vydhianathan

CHENNAI Dec. 31 . The State Government has almost given up the hope of saving the standing samba crop on about 2.85 lakh hectares in delta districts.

Right from the beginning of the irrigation year (June 2001-May 2002), Karnataka has not released water as per the interim order of the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal.

This forced the State Government to approach the Supreme Court. But till now Tamil Nadu has not obtained its share of water.

Adding to the woes of farmers, official sources here say, the northeast monsoon, which supplements reservoir water, has come to an end, unlike last year when it extended till the second week of January.

"We are left with no clue to saving the crop as things have out of gone out of our control. Only Karnataka can save it. We thought that in a federal set-up, States would normally oblige the Supreme Court. If Karnataka remains adamant and refuses to release water, what is the next alternative,'' ask senior officials.

Partially shifting the blame on farmers for the current situation, officials say field-level officers warned them not to venture into samba cultivation after the first week of November. Unfortunately, the farmers, who had lost heavily in kuruvai, gambled on monsoon.

As a result, the total crop loss in the delta districts during the last two seasons alone would run to not less than Rs. 5,000 crores. They wanted the Prime Minister to intervene and save the standing crop.

Unless the Cauvery River Authority meets soon and directs Karnataka to release water immediately, most of the standing crop may wither, say the officials.

Delta bandh on Jan. 9

Our Thanjavur Staff Reporter reports:

Meanwhile, various farmers organisations today decided to call a bandh in the Cauvery delta districts for January 9 urging the Central and State Governments to get water from Karnataka.

Pon Kaliyamurthy, district secretary, DMK farmers' wing, presided over the meeting of the associations held at Thanjavur. Durai Manickam, secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam affiliated to the CPI, Balakrishnan, secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam affiliated to the CPI(M), K. Sivapunniyam Mannargudi, MLA, and representatives of the farmers' organisations participated.

A resolution said both the Central and State Governments failed to get water from Karnataka.

The meeting also demanded distribution of 30 kg of rice per month to the farmers and farm labourers in the delta districts. It urged the Tamil Nadu Government to get the drought relief from the Centre.

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