CM Vijay must act on Karnataka's Cauvery water refusal: Udhayanidhi Stalin

CHENNAI: Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday (July 9) expressed concern over Karnataka Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy's reported remarks that the state would not release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, and asked Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to respond to the issue.

Udhayanidhi said the reported statement had come as a shock to farmers in Tamil Nadu. He also referred to reports quoting the Karnataka minister as saying that Tamil Nadu had not made any request for the release of Cauvery water.

Questioning Chief Minister Vijay, Udhayanidhi alleged that the government had already disappointed farmers over the issue of crop loan waiver and asked what steps it would now take to secure Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water.

"During the entire DMK regime, the Mettur Dam was opened on July 12 every year for kuruvai cultivation. This year, the dam has not yet been opened. The Chief Minister should prevail upon the Karnataka government, whose ruling party is also an ally of the TVK government in Tamil Nadu, to release our due share of Cauvery water," he said.

The DMK leader also reiterated his demand that an all-party delegation from Tamil Nadu should jointly meet the Union government to oppose Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project.

He further pointed out that Karnataka had not released the 9.91 TMC of Cauvery water due to Tamil Nadu for June, as stipulated under the award implemented through the Cauvery Water Management Authority, and urged the State government to take immediate steps to protect the interests of Tamil Nadu's farmers.