Farmers' union urges consensus on Cauvery, Mullaperiyar at Southern CMs' meet

The Tamil Nadu All Farmers Organisation Coordination Committee has urged the governments of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry to evolve a consensus on inter-state river water disputes at the upcoming conference of Chief Ministers of Southern States in Tamil Nadu.

In a memorandum submitted to Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan during his visit to the Central University of Tamil Nadu at Neelakudi, near Tiruvarur, on Monday, committee president P.R. Pandian welcomed the Centre's initiative to convene the conference. He expressed hope that it would serve as a meaningful platform to reinforce inter-State cooperation, mutual trust, and unity among the Southern States.

The committee noted that inter-state river water disputes, particularly those concerning the Cauvery and Mullaperiyar, have periodically strained relations among the states concerned. It urged the Centre to facilitate a constructive consensus and ensure the full and effective implementation of the Supreme Court's orders and directions in both the Cauvery and Mullaperiyar issues, thereby fostering lasting harmony and cooperation.

In the larger interests of farming communities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the committee urged the governments of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry, with facilitation by the Government of India, to accord the necessary approval for the Government of Tamil Nadu to construct a dam across the Cauvery at Rasimanal. It said this initiative should be pursued in accordance with the judgments of the Supreme Court and all applicable legal, technical, environmental, and regulatory requirements.

Mr. Pandian stated that a consensus-driven approach to these long-standing issues would strengthen cooperative federalism, inter-State harmony, and the sustainable interests of the people and farmers. He emphasised that the farming communities in the region depend heavily on these river systems for irrigation, and that prolonged uncertainty over water sharing adversely affects agricultural output and rural livelihoods.

The committee also appealed to the Centre to allocate sufficient funds to Tamil Nadu under the disaster management framework to help people in the delta region, as well as those in the Mullaperiyar and Vaigai basins, which are facing severe drought due to the impact of what it described as 'super' El Nino conditions.

The Cauvery water-sharing dispute has been a long-standing issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, with the Supreme Court delivering a final judgment in 2018. The Mullaperiyar dam dispute involves Kerala and Tamil Nadu over the safety and operation of the 19th-century dam. The conference of Chief Ministers of Southern States is being convened by the Centre as a platform for addressing such regional issues through dialogue and cooperation.