Cauvery family to discuss award

Chennai, Feb 5 (UNI) The Cauvery Family, forum of delta farmers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, will discuss the final award of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) at a meeting to be held this month-end or in the first week of March.

Reacting cautiously to the final award, forum convener S Janakarajan told UNI that ''the award should not be construed as a success or failure to any of the sides.'' The farmers were eagerly looking for the award and now the waiting was over. ''The ryots can now get together and find out what can be done and what can't be done,'' he said.

The forum had been making efforts to bring the farmers of both the states to a common platform to find a solution to the vexed problem through mediation and dialogue since April 2003.

Commenting on the Tribunal's award of 192 tmcft of water which would be added to 25 tmcft for environmental purposes to Tamil Nadu, he said it was just a little over the 205 tmcft of water allocated in the interim award in 1991.

''However, what is crucial is the realisation of water during cultivation period from June to September,'' he added.

Mr Janakarajan said the forum had recently adopted a resolution at a committee meeting, appealing to the people of both the states to ''exercise restraint whatever be the verdict.'' Anamolies or differences, if any, could be resolved through dialogue, he asserted.

UNI