Farmers and pro-Kannada outfit activists protested in various parts of Karnataka on Monday against the Supreme Court direction to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu while Chief Minister Siddaramaiah convened a meeting of legislature leaders and MPs in Bengaluru on Tuesday to discuss the issue. Senior lawyer F S Nariman, who appeared for Karnataka, said that there were “rain deficit months” in the recent past and it was hard to release the water due to Tamil Nadu.
Advertisement
He said it is possible for Karnataka to release 25 TMC of water so that it can cater to the need of crops till October. The apex court also asked the Tamil Nadu government to approach the supervisory committee for the release of Cauvery water as per a tribunal’s order.
For the last four years, the farmers in the Cauvery delta in Karnataka have been losing crops continuously owing to either drought or Cauvery water crisis, KRRS leader K.S. Nanjundegowda, who led the “Jala Satyagraha”, said.
Senior lawyer, F.S. Nariman, who appeared for Karanataka, said that there were “rain deficit months” in the recent past and it was hard to release water to Tamil Nadu.
He said he had spoken to state Water Resources Minister M B Patil over phone and urged him to safeguard the interest of Karnataka farmers.
It gave Karnataka till Monday to inform the court about the quantity of water that can be released to its neighbouring state.
Recalling the various steps taken by her government to protect the State’s rights, Jayalalithaa said letters have been written to the Centre and petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court.
During the hearing, senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Tamil Nadu, contended that Karnataka has not been complying with the Tribunal’s directions in the final order and there has been flagrant violation of the same.
Advertisement
The tribunal, in a unanimous decision in 2007, had determined the total availability of water in the Cauvery basin, at 740tmcft at the Lower Coleroon Anicut site, including 14 tmcft for environmental protection and seepage into the sea.
