National   

Centre keeping an eye on Cauvery situation

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI, JUNE 15. The Centre is expected to watch the Cauvery situation for some time, hoping that rains would help tide over the crisis. It is also possible that the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, may advise Karnataka to release a few tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water to Tamil Nadu as the storage position in Karnataka's reservoirs gets better and a shortage starts building up in Mettur reservoir in Tamil Nadu.

The Ministry of Water Resources today submitted to Dr. Singh the report of the three-member Central technical group that visited the Cauvery basin last week to assess the water, crop and rainfall position in the State. The report was finalised late on Monday night.

The findings of the group is meant to be the basis for Dr. Singh to reach a decision on either advising Karnataka to release a few tmcft of water to Mettur in Tamil Nadu or to convene a meeting of the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) as sought by the Tamil Nadu Government. Normally, a CRA meeting is preceded by an official-level meeting of the Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC), which is meant to review the situation and assist the CRA.

However, sources say, the Centre is likely to wait for some time. It is also watching the moves by the two Governments to communicate with one another in a bid to find a solution, notwithstanding the statement by the Karnataka Chief Minister, Dharam Singh, on Monday against releasing any water. Karnataka will, however, receive a Ministerial-level delegation from Tamil Nadu tomorrow.

An immediate CMC meeting is not likely as the distress-sharing formula worked out by the Centre has not been agreed to by Karnataka. On the contrary, the State has questioned the CRA's jurisdiction on working out the distress-sharing formula.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

• Vajpayee, Advani must retire: Singhal
• Let's take vows to serve humanity, says President
• Gen. Malik seeks to put the record on Kargil straight
• No question of isolating Vajpayee: Naqvi
• Centre keeping an eye on Cauvery situation
• Balram Jakhar tipped to be M.P. Governor
• Congress to field Satish Sharma, Jairam Ramesh
• Government compelled to hike oil prices: Congress
• UPA must live up to people's expectations, say Left parties
• Protests against screening of `Girlfriend' continue
• Ready for talks if invitation comes from Centre: Geelani
• Sopore MLA's brother gunned down
• A season for talks
• Tejpal wants cases against Tehelka withdrawn
• PM to inaugurate meet on rural development
• Nathu La Pass reopening deferred till next year
• 20 Nepali girls rescued from circus
• Anti-Enron activist dead
• Minor fire at ISRO
• Government detoxifying education: Arjun Singh
• Held for possessing forged passport
• De-mining operation over
• Gustad's remand extended
• CBI to challenge bail for stamp paper scam accused
• Row over Kashmir PSC list intensifies
• Vaishnodevi yatra slips to be issued online
• Dialogue with ULFA in `third country'

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu