Farmers' Assn says justice done to everyone

Tiruchirapalli, Feb 5 (UNI) The Cauvery Delta Farmers Welfare Association today said the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal has done justice to everybody.

Reacting to the long-awaited final verdict of the Tribunal, Association General Secretary Mannargudi S Ranganathan told UNI here the Cauvery was a deficit river and it alone could not meet the requirements of the riparian states.

Ater studying the details and vast evidence submitted by several experts, the tribunal had delivered a 'good order.' Under the present circumstances and considering the availability of water, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pondicherry must accept the verdict, he added.

An active member of the 'Cauvery Family' -- a farmers' forum comprising leaders of the farming community from both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu -- Mr Ranganathan said the members agreed to continue to resolve the issue even if differences rose from the final verdict, in the best interest of both the states.

There was no reason for the people to get agitated under any circumstances and appealed to the people of both the states to maintain peace and harmony.

Terming the verdict as a 'good decision,' Association Working President Mahadanapuram V Rajaram said the judgment came as expected. Talking to UNI, he said the delta farmers were expecting Karnataka to honour the final verdict and properly implement it.

He appealed to the Tamil Nadu Government to approach the World Bank for getting required funds for carrying out modernization of Cauvery River and irrigation channels in the delta region.

All development works to the Cauvery River and other irrigation channels in the delta region have been kept pending and the World Bank was not extending funds for such projects owing to the inter-state disputes.

With the final verdict delivered by the Tribunal, he urged the state government to take steps in this regard. Mr Rajaram requested the Tamil Nadu Government to press the Centre to set up a Commission to ensure the implementation of the final award.

UNI