Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has convened an all- party meeting in Vidhana Soudha on August 27 to discuss Tamil Nadu’s demand for release of water from the Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir.
Disclosing this, Water Resources Minister, M B Patil told reporters on Thursday the state was in no position to release the water due to the poor storage in the dam following the failure of the monsoon. What remained in the dam was just enough to meet the drinking water requirements of people of Mysuru and Bengaluru, he said.
“We don’t mind sharing water with Tamil Nadu, but where is the water in KRS dam?” he added. The all -party meeting would explain the grim situation in the Cauvery basin to the leaders and Union ministers from Karnataka, the minister said.
Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, meanwhile, told visiting farmers from Tamil Nadu that Karnataka presently did not have enough water to release to their state, but would do so once it received more rain. The Tamil Nadu delegation was led by former MP, Dr K.P. Ramalingam and A.P. Thirunavakkarasu.
Also present was Karnataka Farmers’ Association chairman, Kodihalli Chandrashekhar. According to sources, the Chief Minister plans to send minister M.B. Patil to Delhi to discuss the issue with the the state’s advocate in the Supreme Court, Fali S. Nariman.
HD Kumaraswamy warns of more farmer suicides
Criticizing the state government for releasing 40 TMCFT of water to TN over the last three months while depriving farmers of water in Cauvery basin, state JD(S) president H.D. Kumaraswamy warned of a possible spurt in farmer suicides in Mandya district.
Addressing a rally in Mandya on Thursday, he demanded that the government release Rs 500 crores immediately as ex-gratia to farmers of the district ahead of imminent failure of crops for want of water.
Providing details of water released in the past three months, he said the inflow into the reservoirs was 106 TMCFT. While the state released 73 TMCFT to TN, it released only 7.83 TMCFT to its farmers.
“The government distributed seeds to farmers, asking them to take up paddy cultivation. Now, it is asking them to shift to other crops. Farmers have incurred a loss and government should release ' 500 crores as relief.”
