VCK demands all-party meeting in Tamil Nadu over Karnataka's refusal to release Cauvery water

CHENNAI: VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan on Thursday (July 30) urged the Tamil Nadu government to immediately convene an all-party meeting over the Cauvery water dispute, strongly condemning the Karnataka government's "anti-Tamil stance" in failing to release the state's due share of water despite explicit directives from regulatory authorities.

In an official statement, the Lok Sabha MP expressed shock over Karnataka's continued non-compliance with the orders of the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) and warned that its stubborn refusal threatens to turn Tamil Nadu’s agricultural hub, the Delta region, into a desert.

Highlighting the gravity of the water deficit, Thirumavalavan cited data shared by CWRC Chairman Vineet Gupta, noting that against the prescribed allocation of 36.4 TMC ft (thousand million cubic feet) between June 1 and July 27 as per the 2018 Supreme Court judgment, Tamil Nadu received only about 3.6 TMC ft at Biligundlu -- a meager 10 per cent of its rightful share.

"The cumulative shortfall in water receipt since June 1 stands at nearly 33 TMC ft. Overall water released by Karnataka has barely touched 1 TMC ft cumulatively at key intervals," Thirumavalavan pointed out, emphasising the crippling effect of this deficit on local agriculture.

He noted that while the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) has currently directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily for the next 15 days, farmer groups in the neighbouring state are opposing even this minimal release.

Outlining the impact on local farmers, the VCK founder said the 'Kuruvai' (short-term) crop season has already been lost due to the lack of water, while the prospect of undertaking 'Samba' (long-term) cultivation now faces severe uncertainty across the Delta districts.

Asserting that Tamil Nadu can no longer expect fairness from the Karnataka government, Thirumavalavan stressed the need for a united state-wide response.

"Under these circumstances, we must raise our legitimate voice loudly and collectively. We urge the Tamil Nadu government to immediately convene an all-party meeting to decide the next course of action," he said.