Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday, August 20th, said that the state government has called for an all-party meeting on water disputes related to Cauvery (Kaveri) on Wednesday, August 23rd.
Shivakumar said that they have also called some senior Parliament members (MPs) to be part of the meeting to solve this long-pending issue involving Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
“Karnataka government is calling an all-party meeting on water disputes related to Cauvery…it is on Wednesday (23rd August). I have called some senior Parliament members to be part of the meeting…to seek the solution we have called this meeting”, said the Karnataka deputy CM.
Shivakumar had on Thursday said that they will request the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to reconsider its decision on sharing water with Tamil Nadu.
CWMA has instructed the Karnataka government to release 10,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu over the next 15 days at a time when the state was grappling with a water shortage.
“We received an instruction that we have to release 10,000 cusecs of water (from Cauvery) for 15 days. We are aware that the state is currently grappling with a water crisis. We are facing severe drought in some areas”, Shivakumar was quoted by the press.
“Still, in compliance with the Supreme Court directive, we have released the water (from the Cauvery) over the last four to five days. However, we urge the authority to reconsider the decision (to release water to Tamil Nadu) as it might have a direct impact on the availability of potable water here in Karnataka”, the deputy CM added.
Meanwhile, plunging into the arena, former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai had criticised the Indian National Congress (INC) government, alleging that it has betrayed farmers in the state as it did not put forward their plight before the CWMA.
“Congress govt has betrayed the farmers, especially those inhabiting the Cauvery river basin. They did not fight their case before the CWMA. Now, they should stand up for our farmers before the Supreme Court and argue our case on merit rather than meekly surrendering to the authority and giving away water (to Tamil Nadu). This is dhokha (betrayal) with our farmers”, former CM Bommai said.
A large number of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers on Monday, August 21st, staged a demonstration and burnt the effigies of the INC leaders in Karnataka for releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
They also put up banners and posters denouncing the INC government and raised slogans expressing their anger against the ruling party’s stand on the Cauvery issue.
The protestors put flowers on their ears to convey the message that the state government has fooled people. They alleged that the government ignored the interests of Karnataka farmers, especially those in Mysuru, Mandya and Ramanagara districts.
