CHENNAI/BENGALURU: With the protests over Cauvery river water sharing intensifying in the State, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday requested Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to defer his scheduled visit to the neighbouring State on August 3.
Vijay’s visit to Karnataka, though mentioned repeatedly by the government and leaders in Karnataka, has not been officially confirmed by the Tamil Nadu government.
Two days ago, Shivakumar had said he offered to take Vijay on a helicopter tour of the areas fed by Cauvery water to show the scarcity there.
However, the situation changed after widespread protests across Karnataka, particularly in Mandya, where demonstrators tore posters of Vijay's film ‘Jana Nayagan’ and forced theatres at some places to halt its screening.
In his appeal, Shivakumar urged Vijay to defer his proposed visit to Bengaluru in view of the charged atmosphere in the State following the CWMA's decision upholding CWRC's direction to Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.
"I request him to defer his proposed visit for a short while. At present, the atmosphere is beginning to improve. There is good rainfall and water inflows are increasing. Let us hold our meeting in a more conducive and cordial atmosphere," the Chief Minister told reporters in Bengaluru.
He said he had already spoken to Vijay and would again request him to mutually fix another date instead of August 3. "Whenever a guest visits our State, we should receive them with warmth and cordiality. Karnataka has always welcomed people from across the country. We should not hurt anyone's sentiments," Shivakumar said.
Making a strong pitch for Karnataka's long-pending Mekedatu balancing reservoir project across the Cauvery in Kanakapura, his home town, Shivakumar asserted that the project would actually benefit Tamil Nadu more than Karnataka.
"In my view, the Mekedatu project will benefit Tamil Nadu even more than Karnataka. The only direct benefit Karnataka will derive is the generation of about 400 MW of hydropower," he said.
The Chief Minister said the proposed 66 TMC reservoir was only a balancing reservoir and could not be used to expand irrigation in Karnataka.
"At no point can the water stored in the 66 TMC balancing reservoir be utilised for any new irrigation project in Karnataka. It is only a balancing reservoir. We have no authority to use that water for irrigation," he said.
Referring to the legal position on the project, Shivakumar said the Supreme Court had directed Karnataka to comply with the final award requiring release of 177.25 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu, while also recognising Karnataka's right to construct the balancing reservoir.
"The recent Supreme Court judgment has also made it clear that Karnataka must release 177.25 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu. At the same time, the Court has also recognised Karnataka's right to construct the balancing reservoir within its territory," he said.