Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

It's no distress season for Karnataka farmers

By Radha Venkatesan

Chennai Nov. 30. As Tamil Nadu farmers continue to languish without enough Cauvery water, Karnataka fields received this distress season 27.677 tmcft more than the flows stipulated for a normal year.

While it refuses to release the due share of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka has discharged 92.18 tmcft to its farm land from July 1 to November 25, according to information reaching the State Government here. Even in a non-distress year only 64.503 tmcft ought to be used for irrigation in Karnataka under the interim award of the Cauvery Tribunal, official sources said.

With yesterday's Cauvery River Authority meeting put off, Tamil Nadu is expected to complain to the Supreme Court against Karnataka's excess discharge for farm operations. The next hearing of Tamil Nadu's contempt petition against Karnataka for flouting its directive is scheduled for December 5.

According to the sources, from August to November this year, Karnataka's monthly release for its farmers was far in excess of the prescribed quantum for a non-distress year.

In August, it released 18.6 tmcft for irrigation as against the stipulated 14.1 tmcft during a non-distress period. Similarly, in September, Karnataka discharged 28.6 tmcft, while the quantum for a normal season is only 14.138 tmcft. In October, it was 3.9 tmcft more and till 25 November, the excess was nearly 6 tmcft, the sources noted.

But Karnataka now claims it cannot release water for Tamil Nadu on the ground it requires the storage for the samba harvest next February.

However, the sources insist, the State had visual proof of harvest going on in full swing in Karnataka.

Also, by Karnataka's own claims, it had begun water release from the Krishnarajasagar reservoir on June 28, Herangi on July 13, Kabini on July 26 and Hemavathy on August 6.

Hence harvesting ought to have begun now, the sources argued.

Tamil Nadu is of the view that Karnataka is impounding water in its checkdams and tanks only for the sesame crop to be raised on eight lakh acres in February.

A section of the farmers' associations in the State was apprehensive that the CRA would reduce, with retrospective effect, the quantum the court had directed Karnataka to release for Tamil Nadu.

But, with the CRA meet called off for lack of a quorum, the farmers are pinning their hopes on the final word from the court in the contempt case.

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