Tamil Nadu CM Asked To Undertake Aerial Survey Of Cauvery Basin In Karnataka, Says Karnataka Chief Minister

Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday said his Tamil Nadu counterpart Joseph Vijay would be on a visit to the State (August 3) wherein a request has been made to him to embark upon a personally assessment through aerial survey to take stock of the ground realities prevailing in River Cauvery basin owing to deficit rainfall this season and for a meeting between them on water sharing disputes between the two riparian States.

The meeting between Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu assumes significance in the backdrop after Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directing Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs to Tamil Nadu for 15-days from KRS and Kabini reservoirs. The release of water to Tamil Nadu was to start from Wednesday but the Karnataka government decided to challenge the CWRC’s direction in the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) before releasing water to Tamil Nadu.

“The State Government will make necessary helicopter arrangements for his visit to assess water storage,” said Shivakumar in New Delhi talking to reporters and stated “Let’ s see what decision he takes.” Shivakumar said “He should witness the ground realities himself.”

However, he said, Vijay spoke to him and wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary to visit Karnataka and the State Government invited him for a meeting.

The Chief Minister said “Preparations are underway to file an appeal before the CWMA and a meeting has been held with Advocate General, legal experts and senior officials regarding CWRC’s directions to release water to Tamil Nadu.”

Shivakumar pointed to earlier rejections of Tamil Nadu’s submissions by CWRC while this time around, CWRC directed Karnataka to release water and stated to hold discussion on water release to Tamil Nadu with leaders of opposition in Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumarswamy in Hassan told reporters the CWRC’s direction is “unscientific” and termed the direction a “death warrant for Karnataka’ since major reservoirs are nearly empty.

Kumaraswamy said “The State is struggling to provide water even to its own farmers and ensuring sufficient drinking water for the people must remain the top priority. In such a difficult situation, directing Karnataka to release water to a neighboring State is neither practical nor scientific.”