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Karnataka will move SC against Cauvery panel order to release water to Tamil Nadu: Siddaramaiah
Siddaramaiah said he has consulted legal experts, who opined that the CWRC directive should be challenged in the apex court
Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said his government will move the Supreme Court to challenge the recent directive by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) to the state to release 3,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu from September 28 till October 15.
Siddaramaiah said he has consulted legal experts, who opined that the CWRC directive should be challenged in the apex court.
Talking to reporters at MM Hills in Chamarajanagar, the chief minister said: “We are challenging the order of the regulation committee before the Supreme Court. We don’t have water to release to Tamil Nadu.”
The remarks came a day after senior Congress leader and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar hailed the CWRC directive as “victory” of the people of Karnataka. “At a given point in time, around 2,000 cusecs [cubic feet per second] of water flow to Tamil Nadu. We just need to add another 1,000 cusecs,” Shivakumar said on Tuesday. “Since yesterday (Monday), we have also seen some increase in inflow. It is a matter of happiness that Tamil Nadu’s demand has been rejected by the committee.”
Even as the government was planning to approach the top court, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) on Wednesday expressed dissatisfaction over the Congress-led government’s handling of the Cauvery issue.
Former chief minister BS Yediyurappa likened the CWRC directive to the “death sentence” for Karnataka.
“If the state government releases any more water to Tamil Nadu, it is a setback for the self-respect of the state…,” he said, taking strong exception to Shivakumar’s remarks that the state has been receiving additional inflow of water.
JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy also slammed Shivakumar for expressing satisfaction with the CWRC’s recommendation. “Legal experts say Tamil Nadu had over-utilised the water for irrigation, leading to increased acreage under cultivation. While Tamil Nadu could cultivate two to three crops, Karnataka’s farmers struggled to grow even one…,” he said.
Meanwhile, a statewide bandh has been called on September 29 by ‘Kannada Okkuta’, an umbrella outfit for pro-Kannada organisations. In view of the bandh, Bangalore University has postponed its second and fourth semester exams by a day to September 30.
