The high-level technical team set up to assess the ground realities in the Cauvery basin areas of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka was in Chennai today.

Members of the team met Chief Secretary P Rama Mohana Rao, PWD Secretary S K Prabakar and other top officials and had a session with them. Sources said that the meeting took at a private hotel in Guindy during which the Chief Secretary put forth various requests on behalf of the government.

“The Tamil Nadu team explained in detail the damage in the Cauvery delta areas due to lack of water and asserted the state’s rights in the issue,” sources said.

Addressing mediapersons at the airport, Central Water Commission (CWC) Chairman G S Jha, the head of the team, said that their report will be submitted to the Supreme Court on or before October 17.

The 14-member team completed its two day visit to the state during which they inspected the Stanley Reservoir in Salem and Lower Bhavani dam in Erode on Sunday, before proceeding to the delta districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam.

“Besides looking into the storage of reservoirs, we have also collected information in the form of presentation by officials and representation from farmers,” Jha said before leaving for New Delhi. The CWC chairman also said that the collected data is being analysed and will be submitted in court.

“We met farmers, in the delta regions of Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam districts, who expressed their grief and said that they are almost pushed to the extent of committing suicide due to the lack of water,” he said.

After the technical team’s visit to the Bhavani Sagar dam yesterday, it was met by the district officials, including Trichy Collector K S Palanisamy, who highlighted the need of the state’s share in the Cauvery waters, particularly for samba crops.

Various farmers associations also met the committee chief and gave him petitions mentioning their request. Today, Puducherry Chief Minsiter V Narayanasamy, who was in Trichy, stressed that the Central government should consider setting up the Cauvery Management Board.

Meanwhile, the inflow at the Mettur Dam today has increased from 4,338 cubic feet to 6,873 cubic feet.