Karnataka convinced SC about water sharing situation of Cauvery basin: DK Shivakumar

DK Shivakumar on Friday said that in the CWMA meeting which was held regarding the water-sharing issue

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday said that in the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) meeting which was held regarding the water-sharing issue, Tamil Nadu insisted that 24 thousand cusec water should be released but the state representatives had convinced the Supreme Court of the situation in Karnataka.

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said, “We argued that we cannot release 24 thousand cusecs of water. The CWMA had ordered to release five thousand cusecs of water. We mentioned that we will release three thousand cusecs. Now we have again convinced the Supreme Court of the situation in Karnataka. In the past, we have left it to them to release water.” DK Shivakumar further said that the rainfall received was not adequate in the Cauvery basin.

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He said, “We have to protect our farmers. 93 TMC water has been used by Tamil Nadu this time. Tamil Nadu has used more water than it should have used in difficult times. We have convinced the Supreme Court of this fact. According to them, the water cannot be stopped. I have spoken to the legal experts. There is no rain, it has only rained in Bengaluru and the Cauvery basin has not received rainfall.” We have decided to present our arguments before both committees, he added.

Tamil Nadu government approached the top court seeking direction to Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs of water daily per day from the reservoirs in Karnataka. Karnataka government also filed an affidavit last week opposing Tamil Nadu’s application saying that the application is based on an assumption that this year is the normal rainwater year.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had said that it doesn’t possess any expertise on this issue and sought a report from the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on the quantum of release made by Karnataka. Posting the Cauvery River water-sharing issue for hearing today, a bench of Justices BR Gavai, PS Narasimha and Prashant Kumar Mishra asked CWMA, which met on August 28, to decide release of water for next fortnight in the Cauvery water-sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.