Cauvery panel report in 3 days

The Cauvery Monitoring Committee will submit its report to the Centre in three days, now that visits to the Cauvery basin reservoirs have begun, Union Water Resources Secretary A.K. Goswami, who heads the team, said. He said farmers’ views and water storage would be considered before reaching a conclusion.

He was speaking during a visit to the Krishnarajasagar reservoir here. The 14-member team, including Karnataka Chief Secretary A. Ravindra, flew down from Bangalore for an aerial survey before physical verification of the reservoir level. Later, an expert team, including B.R. Sharma of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, surveyed the crop status in Mandya district.

Goswami said the team would visit all four reservoirs and examine the crop status before going to Tamil Nadu. However, TN chief secretary Sukhavaneshwar has written to Goswami that it would be inappropriate for the committee to visit Mettur. The water sharing issue, he wrote, was sub judice.