The gazetting of the Cauvery Water Management Authority by the Centre has evoked mixed reactions from farmers, with some welcoming the move and others picking holes and casting aspersions on its ability to deliver on its mandate.
“The Authority has now become a reality, and we thank the Central government for that,” said Mannargudi S. Ranganathan, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Welfare Association. “Now, the forum must meet immediately, assess the ground reality, including the storage levels in reservoirs in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and start taking steps to help delta farmers take up kuruvai cultivation as soon as possible,” he said.
However, P.R. Pandian, coordinator of the Federation of Farmers’ Associations, slammed the gazetting of the Authority now, well after the southwest monsoon set in on May 27, saying it gave room for suspicion on various fronts. “There seem to be grey areas in the constitution of the Authority,” he said.