Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is traveling to Delhi today to discuss the Cauvery water issue.
Bengaluru: To express their disagreement with the orders to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, a group of farmers held a night-long candlelight vigil near Srirangapatna in Karnataka’s Mandya. The protest began on Wednesday morning, with farmers objecting to the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s recommendation for Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days. Independent MLA Darshan Puttanaiah, backed by the Congress, also participated in the protest. In a recent update, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar plans to travel to the national capital to discuss the Cauvery water issue.
It’s worth noting that the Tamil Nadu government has taken the matter to the Supreme Court, which will hear its plea for directing Karnataka to release the requested amount of Cauvery water to meet the state’s needs.
Karnataka has submitted an affidavit in the court claiming that the order given by the Tribunal was based on the assumption of normal monsoon in the state, but the ground reality is different. Moreover, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has stated that the state cannot afford to release water as it also has to take care the need of its people and it will empty the reservoirs. He also highlighted that the release of Cauvery water will cause the drinking water scarcity in the state.
“I’m going to Delhi tomorrow to meet our legal team. The hearing (on Tamil Nadu’s plea on Cauvery water) will be coming on Friday. Our department officials have argued very well after Tamil Nadu demanded 24-25 TMC. We said we can give 3,000 cusecs,” PTI quoted DK Shivakumar as saying.
“We will discuss how much we can reduce (the water released to Tamil Nadu) by making the court understand the situation in the state. We don’t want the keys to be handed over to others. At present, the keys are with us, and we have to safeguard our farmers,” he added.
On Friday, the Supreme Court is set to consider the Tamil Nadu government’s request for an order directing Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs of water daily from the reservoirs in Karnataka, starting from August 14 and continuing until the end of the month.
It is worth noting that the dispute over Cauvery water between the two southern states is not new and has been continuing for decades. The Central Government intervened and formed the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal In 1990 to adjudicate between both the states.
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