Karnataka must not act like a separate nation: Duraimurugan

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu irrigation minister Duraimurugan on Saturday charged neighbouring Karnataka with acting like a separate nation and said that they would demand TN's due share of water as per the Supreme Court order.

Coming down heavily on the neighbouring state for not sharing Cauvery Water in accordance with the SC order, Duraimurugan said that one state is dependent on another state in India.

Replying to a specific media query related to the CWMA meeting, Duraimurugan said, "Karnataka is not very far from us. In one street, one part is Karnataka, another part is Tamil Nadu. We must have the feeling that we all are Indians. It is not fair to act as if they (Karnataka) are a separate country." He was talking to media persons here a few hours prior to the CWMA (Cauvery Water Management Authority) meeting which reportedly instructed Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu. Asked about the CWMA meeting, the Tamil Nadu irrigation minister said, "Be it the CWMA or CWRC, we are demanding 12,500 cusecs. The regulatory committee only ordered (to give) us 5,000 cusecs, which we are receiving now. It is not sufficient. Our crops are drying. CWMA is meeting today. So, we will raise our demand again today."

Asked about the bandh observed by Karnataka, he said, "They are organizing a bandh. We are not bothered. We are going to demand 12,500 cusecs."