Karnataka defers Supreme Court order by a day on releasing Cauvery water

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], Sept. 28 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday deferred the release of Cauvery water by a day, to its neighbouring state Tamil Nadu after the Supreme Court ordered the state to provide 6000 cusecs of water for three days starting from tomorrow. "I am going tomorrow to meet Uma Bharti all ground realities will be presented there. We don't want to disrespect the judicial order, but since we have no water this is a resolution taken by us in legislature. Going by suggestions at all meeting and our resolution, we are deferring release by tomorrow," said Siddaramaiah. He said that the decision to defer the order of the apex court has been taken after discussing it with the leaders of different parties, in which a resolution was passed to use the current Cauvery water only for drinking purpose and not for anything else and since the top court has passed the order, so they are putting off the release of water till tomorrow. The apex court on Tuesday directed the Karnataka government to release 6000 cusecs of water till Friday. The court also asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to facilitate a meeting between the governments of the two states to find a solution to this long-standing problem. The court has, however, agreed to a further hearing of the matter on Wednesday. Karnataka government had said it was not in a position to release water to Tamil Nadu citing 'acute shortage' of water. The Tamil Nadu government, on the other hand, has said that Karnataka is acting as a judge in its own cause and refusing to comply with apex court orders that are sub-judice. Over the past month, both states are fighting a legal battle in various courts over the sharing and distribution of Cauvery waters. (ANI)