Karnataka government will brief ground realities to Cauvery authorities before heading to SC, says Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Friday that the state government had decided to present the realities on the ground to the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Cauvery Water Regulator Committee (CWRC) before to address the Supreme Court on the issue of releasing water from the Cauvery River. in neighboring Tamil Nadu.

Karnataka will use the twin bodies to visit the state and assess the realities on the ground, he said. The state will also push for the construction of the Mekedatu balancing reservoir, touting it as the only solution to the water dispute between the two states in times of rainfall distress, he added.

“Our last request is as follows: the CWMA has asked us to release 5,000 cusecs. We must honor it and we honor it, but the situation is very grim, so we precede them by highlighting our difficulties and we ask them to come and see the exact situation of the land in the two states,” said Shivakumar, who holds the water resources portfolio.

Speaking to reporters, he said the situation was very grim, emphasizing, “There is no rain. We were expecting some rain. It only rained in Bangalore yesterday, but no rain in the Cauvery basin. I hope they will come and visit us, see the situation with their own eyes and make a decision.

Further noting that the opposition parties are demanding that the government stop supplying water to Tamil Nadu, the Deputy CM said, “I consulted legal experts and the Solicitor General and they advised us to submit the situation on the ground to the authorities – because they are a technical team – before going to the Supreme Court.

“We will present the situation of the land with water level data at Krishna Raja Sagara, Kabini and Hemavati (reservoirs) before the committee and the authority, after which we will consider the possibility of going to the Supreme Court,” he said. -he declares.

The CWMA made the decision based on the CWRC’s recommendation.

Shivakumar also noted that Karnataka would also file an application with the relevant authority, stressing that the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project is the “only solution” to this problem.

“We will make them understand that with the Mekedatu project, the water could have been stored and such a situation could have been avoided. Looking at the realities on the ground, they will be able to understand,” he said.

Cauvery is the main source of water for Bengaluru, Mysuru, Ramanagara, Channapatna and surrounding areas, Shivakumar said, adding that the government will ensure the state’s drinking water needs and has issued necessary advisories to farmers.

“Protecting the interests of the state is our priority, but we will also have to respect and obey the law,” he said.

Various farmers’ organizations staged protests in Mysuru, Mandya and Chamarajanagar, in the heart of Cauvery, against the government’s decision to release water in Tamil Nadu, and opposition parties criticized the Congress government for ” do nothing” to protect the interests of Karnataka.

Noting that at the August 29 CWMA meeting, Tamil Nadu asked for 24,000 cusecs of water, Shivakumar said, “but the state argued over its inability to release that much and accepted 3,000 cusecs, but finally the CWMA ordered to release 5,000 cases for Tamil Nadu.”

He said Karnataka had distributed water to Tamil Nadu despite the distressed situation but farmers in the state were now struggling. There is also a drinking water problem due to insufficient rainfall, and the government has the responsibility to protect the interests of farmers and provide drinking water to the people.

Emphasizing that Tamil Nadu is aware of the dire situation due to lack of rains and should ideally control their crops in such a situation, DCM said, but they did not and used excess water compared to the habit of their dams. year.

“Without using water keeping in mind the distress situation, they (TN) are asking for water before the CWMA,” he said, adding that at the August 29 CWMA meeting , the state highlighted the benefit of northeast monsoon for Tamil Nadu. , and its use of excess water.

Asked about the possibility of taking a cross-party delegation to Delhi to meet the prime minister and central ministers on the inter-state water dispute, Shivakumar said: “We will request a meeting during the parliamentary session which has been called and will advise on obtaining an appointment. “.