PM's Cauvery talks fail; Tamil Nadu to move SC

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's efforts to resolve the Cauvery water-sharing row between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka failed on Wednesday with both states refusing to accept the ruling and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa declaring that the state would move the Supreme Court seeking justice.

After hearing both sides, Singh ruled that Karnataka release 9000 cusecs of water each day for 25 days from tomorrow to October 15 after the state refused to accept Tamil Nadu's demand for 2 million tmcft water for 24 days or 1 tmcft for 30 days.

"Karnataka was not agreeable to both these demands and said that it would not release even a drop of water to Tamil Nadu in these circumstances. The bare minimum water sought by Tamil Nadu was also not accepted," Jayalalithaa told media persons after the meeting.

She said Tamil Nadu was "totally disappointed" with the meeting and that the state has no option but to knock at the doors of the Supreme Court to seek justice and to save the standing samba crops.

"Since there was no consensus in the meeting, the Prime Minister as the chair awarded that 9000 cusecs of water be released to Tamil Nadu from September 30 to October 15. This also was not acceptable to Karnataka. I also registered my protest against this ruling," she said.

Jayalalithaa said Karnataka was "adamant" in its stand by maintaining from the beginning of the meeting that it would not release even a drop of water to Tamil Nadu.

She said Tamil Nadu was dependent on water from Karnataka to save crops in 15 lakh acres in the state.

Earlier, at the meeting, Jayalalithaa told Singh that the people of Tamil Nadu expect "positive and firm" action on his part for the release of water from Karnataka.

"I request you to direct Karnataka to immediately release 48 TMC ft at the rate of 2 TMC FT of water everyday for the next 24 days which is due to Tamil Nadu in accordance with the distress-sharing formula and thereafter continuously as per the interim order of the Tribunal, so that the Samba crop can be sustained in the Cauvery basin and food crisis in Tamil Nadu averted," she said.

Noting that Cauvery river is the lifeline of Tamil Nadu which contributes to about 45 per cent of the total surface flows of the state, Jayalalithaa accused Karnataka of not respecting the orders of the Supreme Court.

She also demanded that in this meeting itself the distress-sharing formula should be approved and the water already due to the state should be ordered to be released forthwith.