Delta ryots in a fix over non-availability of Cauvery water

Thanjavur, July 9 (UNI) Farmers in the Cauvery delta districts in Tamil Nadu are frustrated over the Karnataka Government's alleged decision not to release Cauvery water for the cultivation of Kuruvai crop -short term paddy cultivation this season.

The farmers, according to sources, have urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene in the inter-state issue of sharing the Cauvery waters as per the norms of the February five Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award.

They said though there was copious inflow into the reservoirs due to an active monsoon in Karnataka, farmers could not start the Kuruvai cultivation as water was not released from the Mettur Reservoir, which is fed by water from Cauvery.

The Kuruvai cultivation is undertaken in the delta districts of Thanjavur, Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam over a total area of 3,00,000 acres of land. They said almost 1.5 milion people were affected by the impasse in releasing water.

UNI