Karnataka Will Give Cauvery Water to Tamil Nadu: CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah also said the state would approach the Supreme Court for modification of the order.

Karnataka CM S Siddaramaiah (extreme left) and Union Minister Anantha Kumar (second from right) during an all-party meeting on Cauvery water dispute in Bangalore. (Photo: PTI)

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said his state will release water from Cauvery to Tamil Nadu, despite severe hardship, in accordance with the supreme court order.

He also added that the state will approach the apex court and supervisory committee for further directions, though he said that they will file a petition for a modification of the order.

Seeking to assuage the feelings of protesting farmers in the Cauvery heartland of Mandya and other districts in the Cauvery basin, he said all efforts would be made to provide drinking water to Bengaluru and other places as well as irrigation for crops.

He appealed to farmers to maintain peace and tranquility and not to cause any damage to public property.

Earlier on Monday he had said the river water cannot be shared with Tamil Nadu due to insufficient water supply for the state.

Also Read: Cauvery River Contention & Other Major Inter-State Water Disputes

Farmers protest in Maddur, attempt to block Mysuru-Bengaluru highway. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/ANI_news)

The farmers associations in Tamil Nadu had started protesting against Siddaramaiah’s decision and called for a bandh.

According to The Times of India, shops in several parts of Tamil Nadu, especially in the Cauvery delta region, remained shut on Tuesday with farmers, along with DMK MLA PK Sekar Babu condemning Karnataka government’s refusal to release water.

With Karnataka ruling out release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, Opposition DMK on Monday demanded to know why the state government was not convening an all-party meeting to discuss the matter.

DMK president M Karunanidhi pointed out that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had recently convened an all-party meeting involving BJP, Congress and JD(S), where the issue of Tamil Nadu moving the Supreme Court seeking 50 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) of water was discussed in detail.

Referring to Karnataka’s proposal to construct a dam on Cauvery at Mekedatu, he said all parties in that state are united on this matter.

As far as Karnataka is concerned, all political parties, including ruling Congress and BJP which is running the government at the Centre, are united on the Mekedatu issue. That state’s Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) often convenes all-party meetings to get their opinions. 

M Karunanidhi, DMK president

People take part in a rally calling for a Karnataka bandh condemning the Mahadayi Water dispute tribunal order in Bengaluru on 30 July 2016. (Photo: IANS)

However, the “rulers here are not prepared to heed demands for convening all-party meeting,” to discuss the issue, the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said.

The state government either took up the matter with the Centre through letters or by adopting resolutions in the state Assembly, he added. Karunanidhi said an all-party delegation from Karnataka had also called on the Prime Minister in April on the Mekedatu issue, but no such thing had happened in Tamil Nadu.

The DMK leader said Tamil Nadu was facing problems over inter-state water disputes involving neighbouring states – Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in Siruvani, Palar and Cauvery, respectively.

Karnataka had on Saturday said it was not possible for it to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu given the “severe distress” faced by it, as an all-party meeting decided that the Supreme Court be apprised of the “ground reality” on the case filed by its neighbour.

(With inputs fromThe Times of India and PTI.)