Hubballi: SC's order on Friday calling all inter-state rivers a national asset and declaring that no one state can claim a right over their waters, has given a shot in the arm to farmers agitating for water from the Mahadayi river.
Urging the state government to fight for its share of the Mahadayi water before the tribunal based on the Cauvery verdict, the farmer leaders are now keen on the Centre announcing a national water policy to enable early and amicable settlement of the inter-state disputes. They intend to persuade CM Siddaramaiah to bring pressure on his Goa counterpart to permit Karnataka to use the Mahayadi water for drinking. The court’s verdict on the Cauvery has enthused the Mahadayi agitators as it sees all rivers as a national asset. We now hope the Mahadayi tribunal will toe a similar line while delivering its final order in August this year, ” said farmer leader, Vikas Soppin. erming the Supreme Court ruling a vindication of the farmers’ struggle in Malaprabha river basin, another farmer leader, Veeresh Sobaradmath said he planned to file a plea in the apex court seeking a direction to the Mahadayi tribunal for early disposal of Karnataka’s demand for allocation of drinking water and immediate release of 7.56 tmc from the river to cater to the needs of its four northern districts.
The farmers plan to argue before the court that the tribunal should be allowed to have a say on water for irrigation and hydel power, but not for drinking , which it has given top priority in its judgement on Friday.
