Ask Rahul to mediate release of Cauvery water from K’taka: Farmers to Vijay

Trichy: The Tamil Nadu cauvery farmers' welfare association has urged chief minister C Joseph Vijay to immediately begin preparations for opening of the Mettur dam for irrigation of the Kuruvai paddy crops in the delta districts. The association called upon Vijay to leverage his relationship with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to persuade the govt in Karnataka to release Cauvery water from its reservoirs.In a letter to the chief minister, association secretary Swamimalai Sundara Vimalanathan stressed the urgency of opening the Mettur dam on June 12 to enable timely Kuruvai paddy cultivation. "Since the present water level in the dam is not at full capacity, we need urgent intervention," he said.The letter noted that at the 50th meeting of the Cauvery Management Authority (CWMA) held in New Delhi on April 29, the body directed the Karnataka govt to release 2.3 TMC feet of water to Tamil Nadu for May as per the Supreme Court verdict. The CWMA also instructed the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) to ensure compliance of the direction.Since no water has been released so far, the farmers urged Vijay to use his personal rapport with Rahul Gandhi to ensure Karnataka complies with the water release order without delay. The farmers' body also called upon the govt to consult senior officials of the Indian Meteorological Department, complete all preparatory work, and announce the dam opening schedule for irrigation in advance. It further requested the chief minister to attend the opening of sluices of the Mettur dam on June 12 and the Grand Anicut (Kallanai) subsequently.