Those who have planned to travel to Chennai or elsewhere in Tamil Nadu on March 28 are better advised to rework their plans and schedules. The daily-life activities in Tamil Nadu are expected to come to a grinding halt on Saturday as all major political parties in the State have decided to observe hartal on that day to protest against the Union Government's delay in constituting the Cauvery Management Board as per the final verdict of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal and the move by Karnataka to construct a dam at Mekedatu across the Cauvery River.
Cauvery River, originating in Karnataka and flowing through States like Tamil Nadu and Union Territory Puducherry before it joins the Bay of Bengal, is the life-line of almost 17 districts in Tamil Nadu. The five districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Tiruchirappalli and Cuddalore, known as the Cauvery Delta districts, constitute the rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. If there is no water in Cauvery, the entire Tamil Nadu would be affected with draught.
The Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal in its final verdict in February 2007 ruled that Tamil Nadu be given 419 TMC ft water, while Karnataka has to get 270 TMC ft water. Kerala and Puducherry, the other two litigants in the case were allotted 30 and 7 TMC ft water respectively. The Tribunal wanted the setting up of Cauvery Management Board to ensure that all States get the share of water allocated as per the final verdict.
In spite of the ruling by the Tribunal, the Union Government has not constituted the CMB much to the chagrin of Tamil Nadu. J Jayalalithaa, former Chief Minister and leader of the AIADMK has been pressurising the Union Government since 2007 for setting up the board.
Even as the Union Government is soft-pedalling the demand to constitute
the CMB, the Karnataka Government is going ahead with the construction of a dam in Mekedatu across the Cauvery. "This will make Cauvery basin a desert region," said S Rangarajan (78), general secretary, Cauvery Delta Districts Farmers' Welfare Association. He said all parties except the AIADMK, the BJP and the CPI have declared their support to the bundh.
The AIADMK, which rules the State is not in a position to come out openly supporting the bundh. But party chief Jayalalithaa has made it clear to the farmer leaders who called on her recently that they would have her support all the time. The BJP, even while supporting the demand of the Tamil Nadu farmers, pointed out that the Union Government was yet to approve the proposal by the Government of Karnataka to construct the Mekedatu dam.