Not in a position to release water to TN: Siddaramaiah after all-party meeting as Cauvery row intensifies
"We have faced a severe deficit of rain in August compared to the previous 100 years. We don't have water, that's why we are not in a position to release water as per the SC order," Siddaramaiah said.
ANI
Sep 13, 2023 17:42 IST
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 13 (ANI): Amid the Cauvery water row, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday that the state is not in a position to release water to its adjacent state, Tamil Nadu as per the Supreme Court order.
"We have faced a severe deficit of rain in August compared to the previous 100 years. We don't have water, that's why we are not in a position to release water as per the SC order," Siddaramaiah said speaking to reporters after an All-Party Meeting on the Cauvery water dispute.
The meeting was convened to discuss the next course of action after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee directed the state government to release 5,000 cusecs of water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu over the next 15 days.
Elaborating about the shortfall of water in the state, the Chief Minister said, "33.7 TMC of water has been released already. We must have released more than 99 TMC. Since we don't have water we could release only 33.7 TMC. We need to save standing crops in Karnataka. We need at least 70TMC water. 33 TMC for drinking and three TMC for industries required. But we have only 53 TMC water. That is why we are not in the position to release water to Tamil Nadu as per SC order."
Siddaramaiah also said that it was decided in the All-Party Meeting to approach the Supreme Court on the Cauvery water sharing row and file a petition before the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee.
"We have taken a decision in the All-Party Meeting that we will make an application before the Cauvery River Regulatory Committee again stating that we have no water and explaining the actual position which is prevailing in Karnataka and also prevailing in Tamil Nadu. We have also decided in the All-Party Meeting to approach the Supreme Court with a petition...," the Karnataka Chief Minister said.
Siddaramaiah also added that it has been decided in the All-Party Meeting to write a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and meet all Karnataka MPs and Ministers in Delhi.
"We have also decided to write a letter to the Prime Minister of India and also the Water Resources Minister that we are coming in a delegation, please give us a date. We are thinking of going to Delhi to meet all the MPs there and ministers who are from Karnataka...," he said.
The Karnataka Chief Minister informed that his Deputy, DK Shivakumar, who additionally handles the Irrigation portfolio, will hold a meeting with the legal team related to the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) order on Tuesday and file petitions before it, conveying the distressing situation in the state.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar was in attendance at the meeting along with other cabinet members and Opposition leaders. The meeting started at 12 noon.
Even on Tuesday, CM Siddaramaiah chaired an emergency cabinet meeting on the Cauvery water sharing issue. Deputy CM Shivakumar is scheduled to meet Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh in the next few days over the Cauvery dispute. (ANI)
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