Bengaluru, Aug 11 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, on Tuesday said the state government would take a decision on releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu based on the water availability in its reservoirs, following Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s (CWRC) recommendation for the state to release 12,000 cusecs daily for 15 days.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he stated a high-level meeting with ministers and experts would be fixed to discuss the matter.
CM Shivakumar further said the government was closely monitoring the inflow into the state’s reservoirs and would ensure that the interests of Karnataka’s farmers were protected.
“An order has come to release 12,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu. I am continuously monitoring the inflow into our reservoirs. We will take a decision based on the availability of water in the dams. Farmers need not be agitated over the order to release water. I appeal to farmers to remain patient and maintain harmony,” CM Shivakumar said.
He said the government would respect court orders while making every effort to protect the crops of Karnataka’s farmers.
“We have been given the authority to serve you. We do not want farmers to suffer under any circumstances. Nature will protect us and we will protect the farmers of our state,” he said.
CM Shivakumar said the government would deal with the Cauvery issue transparently and would not allow it to become a political matter.
“I will act with complete transparency on irrigation issues. There can be no politics in this matter. While respecting the court’s orders, our first priority is to protect the crops of our farmers,” he said.
The Chief Minister said senior ministers and party leaders would discuss the issue on Tuesday night, while a Cabinet meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday (Aug 12) to decide on the legal and political course of action.
Meanwhile, Minister for Water Resources Ramalinga Reddy said releasing 12,000 cusecs a day for 15 days would mean releasing more than 15 TMC of water.
“The CWRC has asked us to release 12,000 cusecs of water every day for the next 15 days. This means that more than 15 TMC of water will have to be released. Our Additional Chief Secretary, irrigation experts and a team of Supreme Court lawyers who have been arguing the Cauvery case for the last 20 years are in Delhi,” Reddy said.
He said Karnataka had already released a substantial quantity of water to Tamil Nadu during May, June and July.
“About 3.5 TMC of water has flowed out during May, June and July. Since the Kabini reservoir was full and there was no possibility of storing additional water, around 7.5 TMC of water flowed into Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Reddy also expressed concern over the weakening southwest monsoon in Karnataka and said the state could not rely entirely on rainfall in August.
“Our southwest monsoon is weakening and we cannot depend on August rainfall. Tamil Nadu, however, has the possibility of receiving northeast monsoon rainfall,” he said.
The minister said the government would take its next decision after considering the outcome of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) meeting and the Supreme Court hearing, in consultation with the Chief Minister.
However, sources confirmed, the state government has decided to challenge the CWRC recommendation amid concerns over drinking water availability and the requirements of farmers. The CWRC has recommended that Karnataka release 12,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.
Karnataka is expected to argue that the state is unlikely to receive substantial southwest monsoon rainfall in the coming days, while Tamil Nadu is likely to receive northeast monsoon rainfall later in the year. The state government has maintained that releasing 12,000 cusecs daily could affect water availability for agriculture in Karnataka.
The latest development is likely to intensify the Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, with Karnataka insisting that its drinking water and agricultural requirements must be taken into account before any further release of Cauvery water.
–IANS
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