Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday, August 23 said that the state was facing a 40% water deficit situation in the current year and urged the opposition parties to sideline politics and protect the interests of the state. Speaking at the all-party meeting to discuss the issues of the Cauvery, Mahadayi, and Mekedatu projects, Shivakumar reiterated that when it came to irrigation, politics should have no place in the scheme of things.
“There is no compromise on protecting the interests of the state. The government will continue its legal battle and all leaders should cooperate and come together to safeguard the interests of the state unitedly,” he said.
He pointed out that Tamil Nadu should appreciate that 10 TMC of water was being released despite the crisis situation in Karnataka. He added it was important for the two states to collaborate to aid the farmers and prevent hardships to either side. He felt that Tamil Nadu's recourse to the Supreme Court on the issue was unnecessary.
Advocate General Shashikiran Shetty explained that due to the failure of the South West Monsoon in the Cauvery basin of Karnataka and Kerala, 2023-24 had turned out to be a year of crisis. He said that the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee had taken note of the shortage of rainfall till June. On August 10, it directed the release of 15,000 cusecs of water from the Cauvery River. After the state registered its protest, the quantity of water has been reduced to 10,000 cusecs.
He said that Tamil Nadu was not happy with the development and had appealed to the Supreme Court for release of more water. The matter would be coming up before a bench headed by three judges on August 25.
For decades, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been in dispute over sharing water from the Cauvery River, crucial for both irrigation and drinking water. The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT), established on June 2, 1990, seeks to arbitrate among Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Puducherry on sharing water equitably.
Tamil Nadu's recent plea in Supreme Court wanted Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs immediately and ensure the water supply at Biligundlu throughout the month. It also asks Karnataka to guarantee the release of 36.76 TMC, mandated for September 2023 by the CWDT's 2007 award and as modified by the Supreme Court in 2018.
Earlier, Karnataka had been directed to release 15,000 cusecs for 15 days starting August 11, but it failed to comply with the order. Tamil Nadu’s application insists that Karnataka is obliged to follow the Tribunal's final order, as modified by the Supreme Court, and release the water due to it.
A statement from the office of Shivakumar said that former chief ministers BS Yediyurappa, DV Sadananda Gowda, Veerappa Moily, MPs Sumalatha Ambareesh, Jaggesh, Hanumantaiah, Muniswamy, GM Siddeshwara and MLA Darshan Puttanaiah and others who spoke on the matter had extended their support for the legal battle over Cauvery issue.
The meeting was attended by former Chief Ministers Basavaraj Bommai, HD Kumaraswamy, Jagadish Shettar, and DV Sadananda Gowda. Others who participated include: Minister for Law HK Patil, Minister for Agriculture N Cheluvarayaswamy, Minister for Home G Parameshwara, Minister for Energy KJ George, Minister for Revenue Krishna Bhyregowda, MLAs and MPs from all parties, Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary for the Chief Minister Rajanesh Goyel, Additional Chief Secretary for Water Resources Department Rakesh Singh, senior advocate Mohan Katarak.