Jayalalithaa writes to PM again on water dispute

Chennai/Bangalore: A day after raising the Cauvery water sharing issue, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Sunday took on Karnataka over yet another river issue.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on Sunday accused Karnataka of planning to build check dams across Ponnaiyar River and sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to advise it against going ahead with the work.

"The Government of Karnataka has proposed to construct check dams and diversion structures across the Ponnaiyar River which is causing great alarm and apprehension in Tamil Nadu," Jayalalithaa wrote in her letter to the PM.

The Tamil Nadu CM has sought PM\'s intervention against Karnataka\'s decision to build dams on the Ponnaiyar river.

Noting that the river, flowing through Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Thiruvannamalai, Villupuram and Cuddalore, was the "lifeline" of the people in these districts, she said it irrigates an ayacut of nearly four lakh acres.

"Any attempt to withhold the flows by constructing check dams and diversion structures across the river will be a serious breach of the existing Inter-State Agreement on this issue. I request you (PM) to kindly intervene and advise the Government of Karnataka to stop the execution of any check dams or diversion structures," the letter read.

"This will also be a body blow to the farmers of Tamil Nadu besides affecting the basic drinking water supply position", Jayalalithaa wrote in the letter.

She accused the Karnataka government of neither seeking the consent of Tamil Nadu nor furnishing any information about the details of the scheme as sought by the state. Tamil Nadu had urged Karnataka not to commence any work without its consent.

In her earlier letter to Manmohan Singh, Jayalalithaa had charged Karnataka with "unjustly utilising" Cauvery water and asked him to convene a meeting of the Cauvery River Authority to discuss the issue.

However, Karnataka has rejected her charge and opposed the demand for CRA meet, saying the state was ensuring release of water in excess of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's order.

(With additional inputs from PTI)

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