Decision to be made by Sept 26 on Cauvery water release: Karnataka govt

Bengaluru: The Karnataka cabinet on Friday night announced that a decision on water sharing with Tamil Nadu will be made by September 26, the date of the next meeting of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee. Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, during a media briefing, said that the state is currently releasing approximately 3,000 cusecs of water daily. However, only about 34% of the water ordered for transfer to Tamil Nadu has been released thus far, he added.

“Our legal team briefed the cabinet on the legal proceedings so far. Tamil Nadu initially sought 24,000 cusecs of water, which was subsequently reduced to 10,000 cusecs and then further lowered to 5,000 cusecs. Despite Tamil Nadu’s insistence on 7,000 cusecs, our legal team has maintained it at 5,000 cusecs. Currently, there is already an outflow of 3,000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu. By September 26 (the date of the next CWRC meeting), we will determine our next course of action,” he said.

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He clarified that there will be no talks with Tamil Nadu until September 26. “We have requested the central government to mediate discussions between the two states,” he added. When asked about the BJP’s stance on both parties engaging in direct dialogue, Shivakumar responded, “Someone should assume the judge’s role.”

DK Shivakumar also sought immediate Central clearances for the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project saying the project represents the most viable solution to the ongoing Cauvery water-sharing dispute. He pointed out the apex court’s remarks suggesting that Tamil Nadu should have no problems if Karnataka builds dams as long as water is released. “We are preparing a case for the concerned authorities to build the dam,” he said.

Speaking to the media prior to the meeting, in response to bandh calls in Mandya, Shivakumar appealed to the people and farmers not to proceed with it. “We are in power and are therefore ready to face criticism but people should not be subjected to hardships,” he said.

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The Mandya District Farmers’ Struggle Committee has called for a bandh in the town today to oppose the release of Cauvery waters from the State reservoirs to Tamil Nadu.

Speaking on behalf of the struggle committee, farmers’ leader Sunanda Jayaram told reporters in Mandya that the call for a dawn-to-dusk bandh had been given in light of the Supreme Court’s refusal to interfere in the decision of CWMA.

“We are in no position to release 5,000 cusecs of water for another 15 days,” she said, referring to the CWMA decision. “Hence, we have given a call for Mandya bandh to bring pressure on the State government.”

Meanwhile, Shivakumar said the state government had consulted all opposition leaders at every step and had effectively handled the case. The State is now compelled to release 5,000 cusecs of water per day till September 27.

READ | SC seeks report on Cauvery water supply to Tamil Nadu

“I can speak of past records and how the BJP governments headed by BS Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai had released water in similar circumstances in the past. I have records of affidavits filed by the BJP government in the past in similar situations agreeing to release 10,000 cusecs of water per day,’’ he said.

While Shivakumar acknowledged that he could respond to political criticism, he expressed his disinterest in politicising the issue. “I know what Yediyurappa, Bommai and HD Kumaraswamy had done in similar situations in the past. But this is not the time to do so,’’ he said.

On Friday, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the Cauvery issue, particularly the participation of state officials in virtual meetings of the Cauvery Water Managing Authority (CWMA). “The state officials are not attending CWMA meetings physically. They are participating in it virtually… Will things work if you attend virtual meetings?” Gowda, told reporters expressing dissatisfaction over the way the issue was being handled.

He raised concerns about the effectiveness of virtual meetings and refrained from commenting on the Supreme Court’s decision, saying that he had addressed the issue in the Rajya Sabha during the recent Parliament session, but received no response from the state’s MPs, including the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge.

Former Karnataka chief minister and BJP leader, Basavaraj Bommai criticised the legal representation provided to the state in the Supreme Court, suggesting that the lawyers failed to present a strong case.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Bommai said, “The Karnataka government is facing a dilemma regarding the distribution of Cauvery River water. The repercussions of this dilemma have now become evident. Our BJP-affiliated lawyers argued in favour of the state government, and I have closely followed the proceedings. However, it appears that the state government’s legal representative did not present the case effectively.”

Bommai also said that protests are planned in the coming days to address the ongoing Cauvery water dispute. He highlighted the lack of transparency regarding the amount of Cauvery water utilised by Tamil Nadu, adding, “So far, they have not disclosed the extent of Cauvery water usage in Tamil Nadu. We have already organized protests in Mandya, Chamarajanagar, and Bengaluru regarding the Cauvery issue. We will discuss our next steps in our meeting.”

In response, DK Shivakumar said that the state government is continuing to work with the same legal team that handled the state’s case in the past, during the tenures of Kumaraswamy and Bommai, ensuring no delay or failure in the Supreme Court proceedings.