Chennai: In a rare show of unity, DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) MPs, along with the Congress, PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi), MDMK (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) and CPI (Communist Party of India) MPs, today (June 8, 2004) urged the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to intervene immediately and direct Karnataka Government to release water in Cauvery river as per the interim award of Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal.

In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister, when they called on him at New Delhi this morning, the MPs said ever since the tribunal gave its interim order in 1991, Karnataka had not fully implemented it even once and in specific there was no release of water at all from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu in the recent past.

The agricultural activity in the Cauvery delta had come to a complete standstill, thereby causing the farmers many untold sufferings and had also caused huge crop losses across the entire Cauvery Delta region of Tamil Nadu, they said.

The practice in Tamil Nadu was to release water from Mettur dam for cultivation on June 12 every year, but the Karnataka had not released water as per the tribunal award and this year also the release of water on June 12 seemed nearly impossible, the memorandum, a copy of which was released here, said.

As many as 59 MPs from Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry had signed the memorandum. The signatories included Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Iyer, Shipping Minister T R Baalu, Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran and Environment Minister A Raja.

It is for the first time in recent past, MPs of DMK and AIADMK called on the Prime Minister jointly.