Bengaluru: Although reluctant, Karnataka may have to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu to prevent the neighbouring state from pushing for constitution of the Cauvery River Monitoring Committee, which could work to its disadvantage, according to officials of the water resources department.
Speaking to DC, a senior officer said CM Siddarmaiah’s statements on the Cauvery would only prove detrimental to the state's interests.
“The final verdict of the Cauvery River Water Dispute Tribunal clearly calls for formation of a Cauvery Water Monitoring Committee and Tamil Nadu has been relentlessly pushing for it. The BJP’s manifesto in Tamil Nadu and Prime Minister, Narendra Modi too have promised its people that the CWMC would be formed,” he noted, recalling that Tamil Nadu CM J. Jayalalitha had been bringing pressure on Mr Modi to fulfill his promise by shooting off several letters to him on the subject.
“Mr Siddarmaiah has tried to counter this by writing to Mr Modi not to act on TN's demand as Karnataka has filed a case in the Supreme Court on this. But his bravado statements about not releasing any water due to the poor monsoon will only strengthen TN’s case for a Cauvery Water Monitoring Committee and harm the state's interests,” the officer warned, adding that the department had been releasing water to TN even under distressful conditions to avoid such a situation.
“The state has been quietly releasing the required water to TN to prevent it from seeking the Supreme Court’s intervention in forming the CWMC,” he said.
