THANJAVUR: The Tamil Nadu Farmers Association has urged that the Cauvery Management Authority (CMA) meeting scheduled for Wednesday be postponed, citing the absence of elected governments in key states.
In a statement, the association’s state general secretary Sami Natarajan stated that Assembly elections are under way in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, with vote counting scheduled for May 4, and hence conducting the meeting at this time would not be appropriate.
He said the CMA’s 50th meeting is scheduled to be held to monitor the monthly release of Cauvery water as per the Supreme Court’s final order, which mandates 177.25 tmc ft of water annually to Tamil Nadu.
The authority is responsible for ensuring water sharing among Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry as per the court’s directions.
The statement added that, in the absence of elected governments, officials attending the meeting would not be in a position to convey the views of the respective states.
It further noted that Karnataka has repeatedly raised the issue of seeking approval to construct a new dam at Mekedatu across the Cauvery during CMA meetings.
The association urged that the meeting be deferred until elected governments are in place in the concerned states.