Cauvery row: JD (S) against SC's decision, says K'taka doesn't even have water for drinking

New Delhi [India], Sept. 23 (ANI): With the Supreme Court asking Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu till September 27, the Janata Dal (Secular) on Friday said that it is total injustice against the people of Karnataka as Tamil Nadu wants water for the next crop to be sown whereas, Karnataka does not even have water for drinking purposes. Speaking to ANI, Danish Ali, National General Secretary of the JD (S) further appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally intervene in the matter for the rescue of people of Karnataka. Ali said that the special assembly session has been called today and a unanimous resolution would be passed against releasing the water to Tamil Nadu as directed by the apex court on September 20. "Karnataka is suffering from the water crises. It will not have even drinking water for the next six to eight months if this quantum of water that honourable Supreme Court has asked to release," Ali said. "Tamil Nadu wants the water for the next crop to be sown, whereas Karnataka does not have the water for the existing crop and for the drinking purpose. So, it is total injustice against the people of Karnataka. The Government of India should intervene and the honourable Prime Minister should personally intervene in the matter and e should call the meeting of concerned chief ministers of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pondicherry," he added. Stating that at earlier occasions also, the prime ministers used to intervene, call the chief ministers and get the issue settled, Ali said, "Why the BJP government at the Centre is shying away from this responsibility? They can't run away from the responsibility and will have to take this responsibility." A special session of both Houses of the Karnataka legislature will be held today to take a call on the Supreme Court's direction to the state to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu. Ahead of the session, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti in Delhi yesterday, a day after the state cabinet decided to defer the release of the waters and convene a legislature session amid an escalating row between the two states. Apprising Bharti of the ground realities and its inability to implement the apex court order, Siddaramaiah requested the Centre to file an objection against the court's direction to constitute a Cauvery Water Management Board. "It is difficult for us to release water, already as per the Supreme Court order we have released 12,000 cusecs for 14 days. There is no water in our reservoirs. What is remaining in four reservoirs is only 26 TMC water, whereas we need 27 TMC to supply drinking water to Mandya, Mysuru, and Bengaluru and nearby areas,' he told reporters in Delhi after meeting Bharti. Pointing out that Tamil Nadu is seeking water for irrigation and the Mettur reservoir there has a storage of 52 TMC water, Siddaramaiah said he has explained all this to the minister. Noting that the apex court had also asked the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Management Board, he said, "It was uncalled for, neither us nor they (Tamil Nadu) had made a prayer for it. I have requested that the solicitor general or the additional solicitor general who represents the Government of India files an objection against it on September 27." The Cauvery Supervisory Committee had on September 19 asked Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs per day from September 21 to 30, but the apex court had on September 20, doubled the quantum to 6,000 cusecs from September 21 to 27 after Tamil Nadu pressed for water to save its samba paddy crop. It had also directed the Centre to constitute within four weeks the Cauvery Water Management Board as directed by Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in its award. (ANI)