Bengaluru: Despite the harsh summer and an impending water shortage, Karnataka will have to continue releasing 2,000 cusecs of water every day from river Cauvery River to Tamil Nadu till July 21 as per the Supreme Court decision on Tuesday. This has come as a shock to leaders in the state.
Reacting to the verdict, a visibly uneasy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, while interacting with mediapersons, asked, “What can we do, we don’t have water?”
Water resources minister M.B. Patil who was present, concurred wondering how the government could take a decision when there is no water in state reservoirs.
Former irrigation minister and BJP leader, Basavaraj Bommai wanted the government to act fast before it was too late. “I strongly feel the government has been consistently failing to act in time, I think we need to restrategise our approach,” he added.
Sources in the government disclosed that the Supreme Court had been repeatedly informed that Karnataka would need a significant portion of the water stored in KRS reservoir for its own use. One part had to be sent to urban centres like Bengaluru and Mysuru, while another portion was needed for irrigation.
According to these sources, water scarcity is a usual problem in north Karnataka districts in summer but this year, the situation could worsen with the summer likely to be severe.
The top court had last month dismissed a plea by the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments seeking compensation for loss of property during the Cauvery water related conflicts.
During protests, stones were pelted at CM Siddaramaiah's private residence and engineering student in Bengaluru was thrashed over an FB comment.
At least half-a-dozen vehicles bearing Tamil Nadu registration numbers were set ablaze in Bengaluru and Mysuru, and most schools and colleges across the state remained closed during the period when tension was witnessed.
