Rivers cannot be owned by any state: DMK's TKS Elangovan on Cauvery water row

CHENNAI: Amid the protest in Tamil Nadu over the Cauvery water issue, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader TKS Elangovan has said that Karnataka has to release water as rivers cannot be owned by any state.

Speaking to ANI, Elangovan said "They (Karnataka) have to release water. Rivers cannot be owned by any state. They have to provide water. It is an internationally agreed settlement that water cannot be denied to lower riparian lands. The BJP wants to create a divide between the DMK and Congress. It is a matter between two states. They want to convert this issue between two political parties. The Central Water Commission has to ensure that they release water as directed by the Supreme Court."

Meanwhile, The Cauvery Delta Protection Movement held a protest in front of the head Post office in Tamil Nadu demanding the Karnataka Government to Release Cauvery Water. The protesters are demanding the Central government to intervene in the issue going on between the two southern states over the Cauvery water issue.

More than 300 cadres from Various Famers Associations participated in the protest. They raised slogans demanding to release of water from Karnataka. Earlier today, about 12,000 shops and commercial establishments in the Nagapattinam district on Wednesday morning were shut down as a way to mark the protest against Karnataka. In Karnataka, Pro-Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj and other Pro-Kannada organization protested against the Cauvery Authority's decision to ask Karnataka to release river water to Tamil Nadu. The Pro-Kannada organization protested outsided the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru.

The Karnataka Rakshina Vedike is demanding an immediate stop in Cauvery water being released to Tamil Nadu. As per the orders of the Cauvery Water Management Authority Karnataka has been releasing 3000 cusecs of Cauvery Water to Tamil Nadu. The order is in place till October 15 when the Authority will meet again. Amid the war of words and politics around the Cauvery issue, farmers in both states have launched protests.