Form Cauvery Board Before Next Irrigation Season: EPS to Centre

Pro-Tamil outfits protesting over the Cauvery issue showed black flags to Modi when he landed in Chennai.

File photo of Edapadi K Palaniswami.

(Photo: The Quint)

The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday, 12 April urged the Centre to immediately set up the Cauvery Management Board to enable farmers from the state to take up farming activities in the next irrigation season starting 1 June.

Chief Minister Edapadi K Palaniswami presented a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the state on Thursday, even as widespread protests greeted Modi over the Cauvery issue.

Pro-Tamil outfits protesting over the Cauvery issue showed black flags to Modi when he arrived to formally inaugurate India's mega defence exhibition near Chennai.

In his memorandum, released to the media, Palaniswami said the Supreme Court in its 16 February verdict stated that a scheme be formulated by the central government within six weeks to “implement the notified final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal as modified by its judgment.” On 9 April, the apex court clearly stated that the final order of the CWDT has “merged with the judgment of the Supreme Court,” he said.

Therefore, constitution of the Cauvery Management Board has become an "integral part of the Supreme Court's judgment," the chief minister said.

The farmers of the state's delta areas are dependent on Cauvery water for irrigation, Palaniswami said.

They were fervently hoping that the above implementation machinery would be constituted by the Centre to enable them to commence the agricultural operations in the next irrigation season.

Palaniswami urged Modi to immediately constitute the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee "vested with all powers to effectively implement the orders of the Tribunal and the Supreme Court."

(With inputs from PTI)