Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convene a meeting of Chief Ministers of the two states to resolve Cauvery impasse.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a letter (dated Sept 9, CM 334 GOI 2016) to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated the unrest if continued would not only have a serious impact on Karnataka’s economy particularly IT economy which brings enormous revenue and foreign exchange to the country but will also impact the livelihood of common man adversely in the large parts of the state. “I earnestly request you not only as Prime Minister but as the head of entire federal system to call a meeting of the Chief Ministers of the States (forthwith on a few hours’ notice) to resolve the impasse. I invite your attention to a precedent of December 1995, requested the Prime Minister to resolve the issue of implementation of the order of the Supreme Court; which was then duly done to the satisfaction of all parties. Awaiting your favourable response urgently, by telephone, fax or email,’’ Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said in the letter.

The chief minister said the BJP leaders, at an all-party meeting convened to elicit the views of political parties, opined that state government need not implement the Supreme Court order to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. “However, as a constitutional Chief Executive of the State, I have taken it upon myself to obey the orders of the honourable Supreme Court and the water is being released as per the order. It had created unrest and disquiet in the state,’’ the chief minister said.

He said if Cauvery water is released continuously, there would be no water for drinking to the people of Bengaluru and other cities and no water to save the standing crop in the Cauvery basin. “The present storage of water at Mettur dam and the north-east rainfall received in Tamil Nadu will be more than sufficient to meet the requirement of water for samba crop in Tamil Nadu,’’ he said.