CWMA, CWRC chairmen inspect Mettur dam and Grand Anicut

COIMBATORE: Ahead of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) meeting in New Delhi on June 23, a team led by CWMA Chairman Saumitra Kumar Haldar and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) Chairman Navin Kumar inspected the Mettur dam and Grand Anicut in Salem and Tiruchy on Friday.

Besides inspection, the officials also took note of the reservoir’s existing storage level, inflow and discharge. Earlier, the team visited Biligundlu, the entry point of Cauvery into Tamil Nadu from Karnataka and examined the process of measuring inflow status.

Meanwhile, following rains inCauvery catchment areas, the inflow into Mettur dam has increased moderately. From an inflow of 2,537 cusecs on Thursday, the water realised rose to 5,661 cusecs on Friday morning. Storage level in the dam stood at 110.77 feet and 15,000 cusecs was released for Delta irrigation.

Tension as farmers protest

Meanwhile in Tiruchy, tension prevailed for a while at the Grand Anicut premises after farmers staged a protest and showed black flag to the CWMA Chairman for demanding to recommend the Karnataka government to construct Mekedatu dam.

Chairman Haldar and Navin Kumar visited the Grand Anicut and interacted with Chief Engineer (Water Resources) Ramamurthy and Superintendent Engineer Ashokan and got the details about the water availability and the distribution process.

On information about the visit by the officials, the farmers from various associations converged at the Grand Anicut premises and staged a protest.

While they attempted to besiege the office where the officials had an interaction, the police stopped them and arrested around 100 farmers.

Subsequently, farmers association leaders V Jeeva Kumar and P Viswanathan met Haldar and submitted a petition. Later, Haldar told reporters, “The CWMA is an independent body and it would ensure the distribution of water as per the Apex Court order.”

Bommai meets Shekhawat over Mekedatu dam

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday met Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and held discussion regarding the Mekedatu project and Tamil Nadu’s objection to Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) discussing the project at its meeting.

“The meeting with Union Jal Shakti Minister is in the backdrop of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s letter (to PM) regarding Mekedatu. I’m here to put pressure- that the matter which is before the Cauvery Water Management Authority should be decided upon at the earliest,” he said.

Meanwhile, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss said, “Without the consent of TN, Karnataka cannot execute any project in Cauvery Delta and at the same time, Centre should act unbiased on the issue and the Union Minister had been speaking in support of Karnataka and we condemn this.”