Centre has to go the Cauvery Management Board way, asserts CM Edappadi K Palaniswami

CHENNAI: A day after Union Water Resources Secretary UP Singh indicated that the Supreme Court did not explicitly say the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) should be formed, Tamil Nadu on Saturday clarified that “Indeed, what the SC meant in its February 16 verdict was formation of CMB. The Centre has no other alternative but to form this board.” This stand was clearly conveyed by Tamil Nadu during the meeting of basin States in Delhi on Friday.

DMK working president MK Stalin, in his letter to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday raised suspicion on whether the Tamil Nadu team opposed the remark of UP Singh during the meeting in Delhi.

The delegation, led by Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan, which represented Tamil Nadu at the meeting convened by the Union Water Resources Ministry on Friday, briefed the Chief Minister about the averments placed at the meeting.

An official press release issued after the briefing of the Chief Secretary said “The ‘scheme’ to be put in place as directed by SC is nothing but formation of CMB and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee. This was clearly defined in  Section 6A (2) of the Inter-State Water Disputes Act.

Further, the SC, in its February 16 verdict, in para 397, stated that except for the change made in the sharing of water, there was no need for any change in the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. In Para 399, the Supreme Court verdict said the monthly release of water should be monitored by the Cauvery Regulation Committee.

Tamil Nadu MPs have been urging the Centre to form the CMB within six-weeks time frame set by SC. “The government is taking all steps to establish the rights of Tamil Nadu in Cauvery water issue and to safeguard farmers’ welfare,” the release added.