The Cauvery Rights Retrieval Committee has accused the BJP and AIADMK of diverting public attention from the Cauvery issue by projecting the interlinking of rivers as an alternative to ensure adequate water for irrigation in Delta region.
In a statement, committee organiser P. Maniarasan said that instead of ensuring that Karnataka government released water into Cauvery as per the Cauvery Tribunal Final Order, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami in his election campaign in the Delta region on March 30 has claimed that initiatives have been taken to link Cauvery and Godhavari rivers and also steps have been initiated to construct check dams to save water.
The Chief Minister, who claims that it was AIADMK that had retrieved the Tamil Nadu’s rights over Cauvery water through a legal battle, is now singing a different tune. “Such a view emerging from the head of State will only mean that the State is relinquishing its right over the inter-State river water on its own”, he added.
Further, how could the Chief Minister who could not get the legitimate share of water in Cauvery from the Karnataka State, be able to bring water from another neighbouring State, the Andhra Pradesh. He also wondered whether Andhra Pradesh government had given its consent to share the Godhavari water with Tamil Nadu or the Union Water Resources Minister, Nitin Gadkari had obtained any assurance from Andhra Pradesh government in this regard.
Asserting that Andhra Pradesh government would never give its consent to share Godhavari water with Tamil Nadu, Mr. Maniarasan said that the rulers at the Centre and ‘traitors’ in the State had in the past 40 years tried to divert the attention of Tamilians from the Cauvery issue by claiming that water would be diverted to Cauvery from the Ganges in the North.
Now as the people of Tamil Nadu had realised that it was a hallow claim, the BJP and AIADMK were attempting to enact a new drama that Godhavari would be linked with Cauvery, he said.
Mr. Maniarasan claimed that both the AIADMK and DMK have not mentioned in their election manifestos that the due share of Tamil Nadu’s water in Cauvery would be obtained from Karnataka as per the Supreme Court order.