Mandya: Energy Minister and in-charge of Mandya district D.K. Shivakumar said that a high-level meeting to be chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru on Tuesday where the decision on releasing water into canals from the KRS dam will be taken.

Shivakumar who participated in the rrigation Consultative Committee (ICC) meeting at Krishna Raja Sagar on Monday said that the Cauvery command area is facing the worst drought in the last 40 years.

The water available in Cauvery basin reservoirs was just 15 tmc ft as against the required 40 tmc ft. Of the available 15 tmcft, they need to reserve 10 tmcft to meet the drinking water requirements of Bengaluru till May-June next year. A minimum of 40 tmcft of water is required for agricultural activities, he added.

Famers and local workers of Bharatiya Janata Party met Shivakumar and urged him to direct the irrigation authorities to continue release of water to save at least one crop. The also requested the government to stop releasing water to Tamil Nadu as the KRS reservoir is yet to get filled.