Cauvery verdict: Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy says 'historic' SC verdict comes as 'big relief to farmers'

Puducherry: Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Friday hailed the “historic” Supreme Court verdict on sharing of Cauvery water saying it ensured the Union Territory would continue to receive seven tmcft for Karaikal region lying at the tail-end of the river basin.

Addressing reporters jointly in Puducherry with PWD Minister A Namassivayam, he said the verdict ensuring the continued availability of seven tmcft of water for Karaikal “is in line with the award of the Cauvery River Water Dispute Tribunal in 2007 as the allocation remains unchanged.”

Stating that the verdict was historic, the chief minister said “the Supreme Court’s pronouncement has come as a big relief to agriculturists in Karaikal, an enclave of Puducherry in the tail-end of the river basin”, as they were battling all these years for water for irrigation.

Narayanasamy and Namassivayam urged the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board to implement the apex court’s verdict.

The chief minister said the sources of livelihood of farmers in Karaikal would improve largely in the wake of the verdict as they “could go in for larger areas under cultivation as water would be available for irrigation.”

Replying to a question, Narayanasamy said there would be 50 percent increase in coverage of farmlands in the region in the wake of availability of water for Karaikal.

Namassivayam said the observation of the apex court that river water was common for all and that none could claim exclusive rights is “a great and significant relief to farmers.”