Bengaluru: The state government has deferred its decision to release Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu until the one-day session of both Houses of the legislature decides on this on Friday.
The state Cabinet has taken a decision to convene the emergency session of both Houses on September 23 at 11 am. Till the Houses decide, the government has deferred its decision to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for one week as directed by the Supreme Court.
Addressing mediapersons after the Cabinet meeting, which followed the all-party meeting here on Wednesday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that all party leaders including former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda have suggested that the government convene the session to discuss the issue.
JD(S) and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha attended the meeting while BJP leaders boycotted. In the all-party meeting, former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and prominent Congress leaders suggested that the state government not release water to Tamil Nadu, when availability of water is not adequate to meet drinking water needs. They felt an unanimous resolution should be passed during the session.
Based on the state legal team’s feedback, Mr. Deve Gowda and other leaders suggested that non compliance with the Apex Court would not amount to contempt when the state is not in a position to implement the ‘impractical order’, sources said.
Leaders also suggested that after passing the resolution not to release water in the legislature, this should be conveyed to the Supreme Court, which will hear the case again on September 27. Sources told this newspaper that senior counsel Fali S. Nariman has also suggested to the state government to take a political decision about its difficulty to implement the order.
Leaders opined in the meeting that the present availability of water in the reservoirs is 27 tmcfeet, but water needed for drinking requirements upto the end of May, 2017 is 28 tmc feet. In such circumstances how can the state comply with the SC order, they pointed out and suggested that the CM take a tough stand.
