Deve Gowda sits on fast on Cauvery issue

Mr Gowda sprung a surprise by launching the protest after garlanding the bust of Mahatma Gandhi expressing 'injustice' caused to the state both by the Apex Court and the Central government on the Cauvery row. His move was following the 'last chance' direction from the Supreme Court directing the Centre to set up the Cauvery management board by October 4 and also the state to release 6000 cusecs per day to Tamil Nadu from the Cauvery.

The state had been defying the Apex Court direction stating that there was no water in the four state reservoirs due to two successive bad monsoons. The deficit this year was nearly 50 per cent and the water stored was 'just enough' to meet drinking water requirements to various cities and villages including Bengaluru. 

The state legislature has already passed a resolution urging the current storage in Cauvery reservoirs was to be used only for drinking water purposes.

The state government stung by the reverse from the Apex Court and has convened an all-party meeting this evening to take the next step.