Cauvery issue: Tamil Nadu CM Palanisamy holds discussions with ministers

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palanisamy on Thursday held discussions with his senior ministers on the Cauvery issue, even as protests were held in different parts of the state demanding constitution of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB). Palanisamy held discussions with his senior cabinet colleagues, including Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, and officials on the matter.

The meeting comes in the wake of the six-week deadline given by the Supreme Court to the Centre to formulate a scheme ending on Thursday.

Tamil Nadu's stand is that the Centre must constitute the panels within six weeks from the day the apex court gave its verdict, which would be March 29.

The Supreme Court had on February 16 pronounced its verdict on the vexed dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. In its judgement on petitions by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the final order of the Cauvery water disputes tribunal apportioning the water among the riparian states, the apex court had raised the 270 tmcft share of Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share.

The court had compensated Tamil Nadu's reduction by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft ground water from the river basin.

Also read: SC Cauvery verdict: TN share reduced, K'taka gets additional 14.75 tmc water

Since the verdict, Tamil Nadu has been urging the Centre to set up the CMB and the Central Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) to ensure it received its due share of water.

Protests were held in some parts of the state, demanding the immediate formation of the CMB. Farmers' associations and fringe outfits held protests in Thanjavur, Tirunelveli and Dindigul.

In Tirunelveli and Dindigul, some activists climbed cellphone towers pressing for their demand, but were persuaded by the police to get down. They were later taken into custody.