Karnataka MPs assure CM to raise Cauvery issue unitedly in Parliament

BENGALURU: Karnataka Lok Sabha members — a majority of them belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have assured Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to stand by the state government in its stance on the Cauvery river water dispute with Tamil Nadu and also to raise their voice on the floor of the Parliament.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar held a meeting with the state MPs in New Delhi seeking their support on the river Cauvery issue and after the meeting Shivakumar told media persons that he and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met Union Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Prahalad Joshi who is also from Karnataka and explained to him the prevailing situation in the State owing to deficit rainfall this season.

Shivakumar said Prahalad Joshi termed ‘unscientific’ decision of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) asking Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu when Karnataka is reeling under drought situation and Joshi also stated that CWMA also has not come out with distress sharing formula during crisis years.

Shivakumar said to appeal against the decision in the Supreme Court and to explain its stand on water release to Tamil Nadu and exuded confidence that Karnataka would get ‘justice’. At present, water storage in the Cauvery basin reservoirs is very low and Karnataka is experiencing severe water shortage in 120 years. He said the water release order by the CWMA has put Karnataka in deep trouble and thanked MPs of the State over their assurance to support the stance of the State Government.

Shivakumar said to meet Jalshakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat and bring to his notice the ground realities in Karnataka.

At the meeting, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the Mekedatu project proposed by the state government across river Cauvery in Ramnagar district is the only solution to store water and use it during the crisis years.

Siddaramaiah told the MPs that distress sharing formula is not yet ready in sharing River Cauvery water with Tamil Nadu during distress years and stated that Karnataka not no water to discharge it to Tamil Nadu while the State itself needs 33 tmc feet of water for drinking purposes, 70 tmc for standing crops and 3 tmc for industrial purposes while the availability of water in the reservoirs in Cauvery is about 53 tmc of water.