Bengaluru: The special session of legislature convened to discuss the impact of Supreme Court’s recent order to Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily to Tamil Nadu on Friday decided not to release water stating that water is needed for drinking purpose in the state.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the resolution of the legislature should not construe against the judiciary. “We have high regards to the judiciary. Our intention is not to defy the Supreme Court order. We have already obeyed the Supreme Courts orders dated on September 5th and 12th. The water in the four reservoirs is not sufficient to meet the drinking needs of Bengaluru, Mandya and Mysore and other villages in Cauvery basin. As a Chief Minister, it is my commitment to safeguard the interests of farmers. If I fail to meet the aspirations of people it amounts to betrayal of their trust,’’ Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said.
The chief minister said the storage of water at four reservoirs is at 27.6 TMC while the 24.11 TMC of water is needed to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and other cities and villages till May end. “We are struggling to supply drinking water while Tamil Nadu demands Cauvery water for samba paddy crop. Our farmers have sacrificed crops due to the shortage of water at four reservoirs,’’ the chief minister said.
Leader of Opposition Jagadish Shettar has moved a resolution in the Assembly stating that it would be difficult for the state to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu since there is an acute shortage for drinking water. “This House further seriously notes that the combined storages in the four reservoirs viz Krishna Raja Sagara, Hemavathy, Harangi and Kabini have reached alarmingly low levels with only 27.6 TMC of water. It is now resolved to direct that in this state of acute distress it is imperative that the Government ensures that no water from the present storages be drawn except for meeting drinking water requirements of the villages and towns in the Cauvery basin and for the entire city of Bruhat Bangalore,’’ Jagadish Shettar said while moving the resolution.
The resolutions also stated the interests of the people would be gravely jeopardized if water in the four reservoirs is in any way reduced – other than for meeting the drinking water requirements of inhabitants in the Cauvery basin including the entire city of Bangalore.
While speaking on the resolution, Jagidh Shettar recalled the circumstances to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu when he was the chief minister. “There was 71 TMC of water in four reservoirs those days. Now, the total storage is 27.6 TMC and it was 46.7 TMC when the state’s counsel Fali Nariman filed an affidavit expressing Karnataka’s willingness to release 10,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu. I am of the opinion that state government did not take the actual storage of water in four reservoirs while agreeing to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu,’’ Shettar said.
H D Kumaraswamy, Leader of Opposition and JD(S) leader said that release of Cauvery water would be difficult since the water storage in four reservoirs had reached to alarming levels. “I have advised the chief minister to convene special session of the legislature 15 days ago to discuss the Cauvery water issue. The Supreme Court’s directive to the state has become a death note for the farmers in Karnataka. The state has already obeyed the Supreme Court’s directive and there is no need to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu since there is an acute shortage for drinking water. This resolution is not against the Supreme Court’s interim order. We have not violated the Supreme Court’s order but it should not construe as our weakness. I think we have to take a difficult decision if the Supreme Court continues to deliver similar judgements in the future. We are in helpless situation and it is difficult to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu,’’ Kumaraswamy said.
Congratulating the chief minister for convening the special session of the legislature, K S Puttannaiah, MLA of Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha (SKP) said the state could not release to Tamil Nadu for irrigation purpose when there is a shortage for drinking water in Karnataka. “We are with the chief minister. Let him take a firm decision in this regard,’’ Puttannaiah said.
Earlier, the Legislative Council unanimously decided not to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu stating the water was needed for drinking purposes in the state. After the subject was discussed, the Council passed the resolution unanimously stating that the water in the reservoirs would be used for drinking purposes in the state and the water cannot be released to Tamil Nadu.
