Bengaluru: Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday urged the ruling Congress in Karnataka to immediately stop release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
He has also requested the government to file a petition in the Supreme Court.
“The government should convince the court about the intensity of the crisis in the state and wage a legal battle over the matter,” Bommai stated.
“The state government has been erring over the Cauvery issue since the beginning. The state had been releasing 10,000 cusecs of water every day as per the orders of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT). 15 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of water has been released to Tamil Nadu. However, no legal action was taken against Tamil Nadu in this regard,” Bommai stated.
What is the use if the Dy CM Shivakumar is discussing and holding meetings with experts after releasing 5,000 cusecs of water following the orders by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), Bommai questioned.
The appeal petition should have been filed over the previous order already. That wasn’t done. Now, as the water is released, there is no meaning in taking up legal battle now. “Still, I strongly urge you to file a petition in the Supreme Court and take up a strong fight. The Congress government has failed to protect the interests in terms of drinking water and interests of farmers,” Bommai opined.