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Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday, July 31, appealed to his Tamil Nadu counterpart, C Joseph Vijay, to postpone his proposed visit to Karnataka, citing the prevailing tensions in the state following the recent order of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on water release.
The Karnataka government had earlier agreed to host Vijay on August 3 after the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Office sought a meeting to discuss inter-state issues. However, Shivakumar said the visit should be deferred until the atmosphere became "cool, calm and cordial."
"I feel that the atmosphere is not right at this point of time. I am appealing to him to postpone the visit for some time because we should have a very cordial atmosphere. I want both States to benefit from it," Shivakumar said.
He added that he did not want any bitterness between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and remarked that "it all depends upon the rain god."
The appeal comes a day after the CWMA rejected Karnataka's plea against the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's (CWRC) directive and ordered the state to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu for 15 days, beginning July 29.
The order has triggered protests across Karnataka. On Friday, several pro-Kannada organisations called for a statewide bandh on August 13, demanding that the state government oppose the release of Cauvery water. Activist and MLC Vatal Nagaraj warned of widespread protests if the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister visited Karnataka to press for water release.
The protests have also spilled over into the film industry, with reports of posters of Vijay's recently released film Jana Nayagan being torn down and screenings allegedly disrupted in some places.
Shivakumar urged organisations that have called for the bandh to reconsider, saying such protests would inconvenience the public and would not help resolve the dispute.
He said the government remained committed to protecting Karnataka's interests while complying with legal processes. Before deciding its next course of action, the state would convene an all-party meeting, seek legal advice, and consult stakeholders, he said.
Speaking after a review meeting on the Cauvery situation, Shivakumar said the government had immediately challenged the CWRC's recommendation and that he and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara had met Union ministers and Members of Parliament in Delhi over the issue.
On the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, Shivakumar said that it would benefit both states by regulating river flows, while Karnataka's primary gain would be hydropower generation. He maintained that the project was a balancing reservoir and was not intended for additional water utilisation.
This story was written by a student intern at The News Minute.
