Karnataka cabinet discusses Cauvery water release amidst committee directive

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah convened a meeting of his cabinet on Wednesday to discuss the next course of action.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah convened a meeting of his cabinet on Wednesday to discuss the next course of action after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee directed the state government to release 5,000 cusecs of water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu over the next 15 days.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who additionally handles the Irrigation portfolio, was in attendance at the meeting along with other cabinet members.

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The meet started at 12 noon.

Even on Tuesday, CM Siddaramaiah chaired an emergency cabinet meeting on the Cauvery water sharing issue.

Deputy CM Shivakumar is scheduled to meet Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh in the next few days over the Cauvery dispute.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) recommended that the Karnataka government release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days, starting Wednesday, against the demand for 12,500 cusecs of water by the DMK government in the neighbouring state.

“DK Shivakumar will travel to Delhi to meet Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat after attending the meeting of the cabinet (on Wednesday),” an official said.

CM Siddaramaiah on Monday accused the central government of dragging its feet in clearing the Mekedatu project, adding that the people of Tamil Nadu were creating unnecessary disputes over Cauvery.

Shivakumar also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) of ‘doing politics’ on the Cauvery water-sharing issue.

Earlier, former Karnataka chief minister and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai said the state government needs to be firm in its stand in the issue and stop sharing Cauvery water with Tamil Nadu.

Earlier, the Tamil Nadu government approached the Supreme Court seeking direction to Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs of water daily from the reservoirs in Karnataka.

Karnataka government also filed an affidavit opposing Tamil Nadu’s plea stating that their petition is based on an assumption of normal rains this year.

The states have been locked in a protracted dispute over the sharing of Cauvery water for decades. The river is seen as a major source of sustenance for the people of both states, including meeting irrigation and drinking water needs.

The Centre formed the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on June 2, 1990, to arbitrate on the disputes between Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Puducherry with respect to their water-sharing capacities.