K’taka won’t compromise farmers’ interests on Cauvery: DK urges groups to withdraw bandh call
Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Sunday asserted that the state government would not compromise on the interests of farmers and citizens in the Cauvery water-sharing dispute, while appealing to pro-Kannada organisations to withdraw the proposed Karnataka bandh scheduled for August 13.
Addressing a press conference after an all-party meeting on the Cauvery issue, Shivakumar said the government remained committed to safeguarding the state’s interests and assured people there was no need for concern.
The meeting was convened after the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days. Tamil Nadu had sought the release of 9.5 TMC of water.
Shivakumar said the state’s water situation had improved significantly following recent rainfall. He noted that the Kabini reservoir was receiving an inflow of around 24,000 cusecs, while the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir was receiving about 22,000 cusecs.
Despite the improvement, he said Karnataka had received only around 35% of its expected rainfall so far and stressed that at least 40 TMC of water must be reserved to meet drinking water requirements. He clarified that additional water was being released only to ensure the structural safety of the Kabini dam after it reached full capacity. According to him, Karnataka released 2.9 TMC of water in June and 1.5 TMC in July.
The deputy chief minister said former chief ministers, legal experts and leaders from across political parties participated in the all-party meeting and reached a consensus to continue pursuing the state’s case through legal means based on the hardship formula. He added that all parties, including the BJP, agreed that drinking water should remain the highest priority.
Appealing to organisations that have called for the August 13 bandh, Shivakumar urged them to reconsider, saying both the government’s efforts and favourable rainfall had strengthened Karnataka’s position in the dispute.
He also thanked Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, Union Ministers Prahlad Joshi and V. Somanna, former chief ministers and Members of Parliament for extending support to the state’s stand on the Cauvery issue, reiterating that ensuring drinking water security for Karnataka’s people remained the government’s foremost priority.
