Bengaluru/Chennai: Bowing to the Supreme Court order, Karnataka on Tuesday decided to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu “despite severe hardships”, as protests in the state in the wake of the court order intensified and the angry farmers blocked the highway between Bengaluru and Mysuru.
“Despite severe hardships faced by the government of Karnataka, the state will release water as directed by the Supreme Court,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters in the night, after nearly a three-hour long all-party meeting he had convened at the state capital.
He added that the state would move a modification petition before the Supreme Court explaining the difficulties in implementing its order (of Monday on a petition from Tamil Nadu government) to release 15,000 cusecs per day to Tamil Nadu for next ten days, and seeking changes in the SC order. Karnataka would also move the Cauvery Supervisory Committee, the CM said.
Pointing out that it would be ‘difficult’ for a government bound by the Constitution to defy the Supreme Court order or to refuse release of water, he said “with a heavy heart”, it has been decided to provide water to Tamil Nadu even though Karnataka was itself facing a “very severe distress” year.
Bengaluru, Sept. 6: With the four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin having around 50 tmcft water, the release of water to TN over the next 10 days would take away as much as 13tmcft leaving the state struggling to meet the drinking water needs of districts in the Old Mysuru region including Bengaluru. However, the CM said that if Karnataka complies with the apex court order now, it would help the state's case when its main petition comes up for hearing on October 18.
The government has also decided to file a modification petition before the Supreme Court seeking to modify its order dated September 5, 2016 wherein it had ordered Karnataka to release water.
Meanwhile pro-Kannada outfits have called for a Karnataka bandh on Friday (September 9) to protest against the release of water to TN.
Explaining the stance the state took in the apex court, Mr Siddaramaiah said the legal team headed by Fali Nariman submitted that Karnataka can release 10,000 cusecs water per day for six days which was increased by the court to 15,000 cusecs for 10 days.
