Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin urges Jal Shakti Minister to ensure release of Cauvery water

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote a letter to Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday, urging him to advise the Cauvery Water Management Authority to ensure the release of water as per the monthly allocation prescribed by the Supreme Court. The Tamil Nadu government is opening the reservoir for delta irrigation on June 12.

In his letter, Stalin also highlighted the need for water from the reservoir for the Kuruvai crop as the southwest monsoon does not benefit the state.

"The delta districts do not benefit much from the southwest monsoon and the short-term Kuruvai crop is dependent on Cauvery water. Hence, any shortfall in release of water will severely impact the standing crop," the Tamil Nadu CM stated in his letter to Shekhawat.

As per the Supreme Court judgment, Tamil Nadu is entitled to receive 9.19 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water in June and 31.24 TMC water in July. Accordingly, Stalin will be opening the sluice gate of the Mettur reservoir on Saturday.

On Friday, he inspected the modernisation work at the Rs 1,036 crore Grand Anicut project in Thanjavur, which was launched in February during the previous government's tenure and had Prime minister Narendra Modi laying the foundation stone for it. The DMK leader also looked over the desilting of canals in Thanjavur and Trichy.