Jayalalithaa seeks PM's immediate intervention on Cauvery issue

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's immediate intervention on the Cauvery River water sharing issue.

In a letter to Dr. Singh today, she has noted that the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited which is an enterprise of the Karnataka Government, should not proceed with any projects in the Cauvery Basin until the Cauvery Management Board was formed.

She has insisted that the Karnataka Government may be instructed appropriately on the issue and should immediately abstain from proceeding on the two projects in the Cauvery Basin.

She further expressed shock that disregarding the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, Karnataka is proceeding with new modernization schemes in the Cauvery basin.

Sharing of waters of River Cauvery has been a bone of contention between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for over three decades.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said on June 2 that the state could not release Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu, as reservoirs across the river basin were nearly dry following a severe drought.

The Supreme Court had directed Karnataka to share waters of the Cauvery River with neighbouring Tamil Nadu in October 2012.