Parties resolve no' water to Tamil Nadu, SC to be briefed on Karnataka's distress
Bengaluru: The state government will describe the “severe distress” in terms of storage level of water in four reservoirs in Cauvery basin to the Supreme Court and express its inability to release water to Tamil Nadu.
On Saturday, the state government arrived at a consensus on the stand to be adopted in the apex court during a meeting with floor leaders, Members of Parliament, and legislators from Cauvery basin.
“Tamil Nadu has sought the release of 50 TMC ft of water. Can it be given? No. From where can we give it? We are facing a severe distress year. Both the states should share the distress pro rata. That is the principle we have followed so far and the court has also given a direction like this based on the ground reality, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told the media, adding the “ground reality” now was that four reservoirs in the basin - Kabini, Hemavathy, Harangi and KRS - had a combined storage of 51 TMC ft and at least 40 TMC ft of it was required to provide drinking water in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya and other cities, as also villages and the remaining quantum for standing crops.
Same view
The Chief Minister said “All (parties) have shared the same view,” and therefore advocates representing the state would plead about the “ground reality’ in the Supreme Court in response to Tamil Nadu’s demand for release of 50 TMC ft.
Due to scanty rainfall in catchment areas, the inflow of water into four reservoirs decreased drastically.
As on August 24, the shortage of inflow was 45 per cent, resulting in storage of a mere 51 TMC ft against the normal 108 TMC ft, the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister spiked reports about release of water to Tamil Nadu at night.
“A section of newspapers reported that following advice of senior counsel Fali S. Nariman, the state has released water to Tamil Nadu. It is only speculative news,” he added.
The meeting was attended by Union minister H N Ananth Kumar, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge, BJP leader K S Eshwarappa, Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Kumaraswamy, besides law minister T B Jayachandra and water resources minister M B Patil. Mr Kharge said all parties backed the government’s stand adding “there is no water. The question of release of water (to Tamil Nadu) does not arise.”
Tamil Nadu files plea in SC
In the SLP filed in the Supreme Court, Tamil Nadu has sought a direction to Karnataka for release of 50.052 TMC ft of water at Biligundlu as per order of the Cauvery water disputes tribunal. Tamil Nadu also sought a direction to Karnataka for immediate release of 25 TMC ft water out of 50 TMC ft in ten days as cultivation of Samba crop had commenced.
The remaining 25 TMC ft was sought in the third week of September to sustain Samba crop to be cultivated in over 15 lakh hectares of land in the Cauvery basin.
