Bengaluru, Sep 8 (IANS) Karnataka will strongly present the State’s ground reality, including the severe water shortage and concerns over farmers’ interests, before the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy said on Tuesday.
It can be noted that the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the CWRC are holding a crucial high-level meeting in New Delhi today to review rainfall, reservoir levels, and crop conditions.
The Minister said a team of senior officials had already travelled to New Delhi to explain Karnataka’s prevailing water situation to the authorities concerned. The State’s Additional Chief Secretary had also chaired an important meeting on Monday to review preparations regarding the Cauvery water issue, he said.
Cheluvarayaswamy said Karnataka would place before the CWRC and CWMA the facts regarding the water shortage in the State and strongly argue for protecting its share of Cauvery water.
He pointed out that the Supreme Court had advised Tamil Nadu, which has repeatedly approached the court over Cauvery water, not to approach the court on every issue.
The Minister said Karnataka would prominently raise the issue of Tamil Nadu allegedly using more than its share of Cauvery water for agricultural activities in the appeal to be submitted before the authorities on Tuesday.
Cheluvarayaswamy reiterated that the Karnataka government was committed to safeguarding the interests of farmers.
“The government has always been committed to protecting farmers. Steps have been taken to fill lakes in the Hemavathi basin, and necessary water has also been released through the Harangi and KRS reservoirs,” he said.
He said the government was taking all necessary measures to address the water requirements of farmers while also safeguarding Karnataka’s interests in the ongoing Cauvery water dispute.
The State’s delegation and officials are expected to place Karnataka’s case before the Cauvery water authorities in New Delhi, highlighting the prevailing water scarcity and the need to ensure adequate water for drinking and agricultural purposes.
It can be recalled that already yielding to the orders of the authorities, the Karnataka government has released more than 40 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu on three occasions.
Each time, the government had said it would not release water, but eventually allegedly went ahead with the release. This time, farmers in Mandya district have warned the government that it should not release water to Tamil Nadu under any circumstances.
–IANS
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