Karnataka seeks review of PM’s directive on Cauvery

Maintaining its defiant stand to protect the interests of its own farmers, Karnataka on Friday filed a petition before the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) headed by the prime minister seeking review of its September 19 ruling in which the state was asked to release 9,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu till October 15.

Invoking powers conferred under Section 6 of the Inter-State River Disputes Act, Karnataka has pleaded with prime minister Manmohan Singh to keep the CRA decision in abeyance till the time it was reviewed and set aside.

“We filed the review petition last night itself. The petition was also submitted in person to prime minister’s office,” chief minister Jagadish Shettar said, after chairing a meeting of floor leaders of both houses of the state legislature.

He said the state has also requested the prime minister to depute an expert team to assess ground realities in the state, which is facing one of the worst droughts in 40 years.

“State government has decided to continue the legal battle on this issue. We are consulting our advocates”, he said.

The floor leaders meeting held on Friday decided to meet the prime minister at the earliest to convince him to review the CRA directive to release 9,000 cusecs of water from Cauvery reservoirs till October 15 to Tamil Nadu. State also wants the PM to keep the present order in abeyance till the state delegation meets him.

Speaking to the reporters after attending the meeting, Shettar said that the state government would also urge the PM to send a team of experts to both the states to assess the ground reality. As many as 49 taluks in Cauvery basin are drought-ridden. In spite of the state’s plight the PM chose to give water to Tamil Nadu., he said “We respect PM Singh. In the interest of the farmers and people of the state I had to stage a walkout,” Shettar said.

Law and parliamentary affairs minister S Suresh Kumar said that, some of the facts and figures that the prime minister had referred to were incorrect and they will have to be rechecked.

“CM Shettar and minister for water resources Basavaraj Bommai have clearly told the PM that the water requirement for the state till April from present day is about 156 tmc. They have also stressed on the fact that the available reserve is about 76tmc and if the state is compelled to release water to Tamil Nadu, what would be the plight of the people in Karnataka,” Suresh Kumar said.

He further said that in the backdrop of lack of rainfall, standing crops in Karntaka is going to be affected and severe problem of drinking water will arise. The fact that the Monsoon season in Tamil Nadu is just setting in where as the monsoon season in Karnataka is over, he added.

Leader of the opposition in legislative assembly Siddaramaiah expressed his full support to state government’s stand on Cauvery. “Tamil Nadu is seeking water for storing it in Mettur reservoir for its future needs, while Karnataka is struggling to sustain its standing crops,” he maintained.