AIADMK calls for formation of Cauvery Management Board

Chennai: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) spokesperson CR Saraswathi on Friday called for the formation of Cauvery Management Board (CMB) at the earliest to resolve a water-sharing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

"All our MPs want the Cauvery Management Board to be constituted immediately. Some people say that it is a disturbance, it is not a disturbance, it is our right," said AIADMK leader CR Saraswathi.

She further said that since the court has given the order to share the waters of the River Cauvery, the need for forming the CMB has become a priority.

Expressing grief about fishermen being shot at by the Sri Lankan Navy, Saraswathi said the matter will be looked into and action would be taken at the earliest.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had reserved its order on maintainability on an appeal of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala against the Cauvery Tribunal`s order of 2007.

The Cauvery dispute dates back to 1892 when an agreement was filed between Madras Presidency and Mysore for arbitration but led to a fresh set of disputes.

Later, attempts were renewed to arbitrate between the two states under the supervision of Government of India and the second agreement was signed in 1924.

With Kerala and Puducherry also staking claims to a share of Cauvery water after India attained independence, a fact-finding committee was set up in 1970 to figure out the situation on ground.

The committee submitted its report in 1972 and further studies were done by an expert committee and the states reached an agreement in 1976.

However, after a new government came to power in Tamil Nadu, it refused to give consent to terms of the agreement paving way for further dispute.