BJP should avoid politics on this: Siddaramaiah on Cauvery water dispute

MYSURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that BJP should avoid doing politics on the Cauvery water-sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu adding that the state government is committed to protecting farmers. Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, CM Siddaramaiah said, "We are not releasing water happily to Tamil Nadu. Due to the authority's order, we were inevitably releasing water. Tamil Nadu has argued its case without any reason. We will explain our plight again in court. BJP should not do politics on this."

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah also mentioned that he is ready to send a delegation to Prime Minister Modi on the Cauvery water row but no appointment has been given as of now. "We are ready to send a delegation to the Prime Minister. We are also not getting a date for it. BJP should send its delegation but they are not listening. They are sitting here telling the story of how farmers are struggling. We are still committed to protecting farmers," he said. Earlier former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai said that the Karnataka government needs to be firm in its stand and should stop sharing water with Tamil Nadu.

"There is hardly water in the backwaters of Cauvery. I think the govt has to be very firm, stop the water and see that they convince the Supreme Court and explain the pathetic condition of Karnataka and the excess use of water by Tamil Nadu," Bommai said. Earlier the Tamil Nadu government approached the Supreme Court seeking direction to Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs of water daily per day from the reservoirs in Karnataka.

Karnataka government also filed an affidavit opposing Tamil Nadu’s application saying that the application is based on an assumption that this year is the normal rainwater year. Supreme Court had said that it doesn’t possess any expertise on this issue and sought a report from the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on the quantum of release made by Karnataka. A bench of Justices BR Gavai, PS Narasimha and Prashant Kumar Mishra asked CWMA, which met on August 28, to decide release of water for the next fortnight in the Cauvery water-sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The matter has been a controversial issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for decades and they have been locked in battle over the sharing of water from the Cauvery river, which is a major source of irrigation and drinking water for millions of people in the region.

The Centre formed the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on June 2, 1990, to adjudicate disputes between Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Puducherry with respect to the water-sharing capacities.