Despite farmers' opposition, TN CM to pursue bilateral talks with Karnataka on Cauvery

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is keen to pursue bilateral talks with neighbouring Karnataka to resolve the long-standing Cauvery water-sharing dispute despite strong opposition from farmers, an official source said on Tuesday.

Farmers have urged the state government to call off the proposed talks and explore legal options against Karnataka amid a severe water shortage in the Cauvery delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam.

The shortage has affected prospects for raising the short-term Kuruvai paddy crop and led to the postponement of the customary opening of the Mettur dam on June 12 due to inadequate water storage.

Farmer representatives who attended a consultative meeting with state Agriculture Minister R Vinoth on Monday demanded that the talks be cancelled, arguing that direct negotiations would bypass the established legal mechanism and contradict the Supreme Court's verdict.

The opposition DMK has also protested against the proposed talks and demanded that the state seek a dedicated tribunal to resolve the Cauvery dispute and secure Tamil Nadu's share of the river water.

Between June 1 and July 22, Tamil Nadu received only 3.5 TMC ft of water against the 31 TMC ft it was entitled to under the Supreme Court-mandated schedule.

The proposed talks also come after the Centre said on Monday that Karnataka does not require the consent of Tamil Nadu or other riparian states to construct the Mekedatu balancing reservoir.

Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary told the Rajya Sabha that the 2018 Supreme Court judgment on the Cauvery dispute did not require Karnataka to obtain the consent of other riparian states to construct structures across the river.

He said Karnataka's Detailed Project Report for the Mekedatu balancing reservoir-cum-drinking water project, submitted in 2019, had been returned to the project authority with a request to submit a revised report in compliance with the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award and existing Central Water Commission guidelines.