Supreme Court fiat on Cauvery: Adamant Karnataka to seek view of House

Defying a Supreme Court order directing Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday called on Governor Vajubhai Vala and appraised him of his government’s decision to defer the release of water. The main Opposition BJP, which boycotted the all party meeting, expressed its willingness to attend the special session.

Tamil Nadu had appealed to the Supreme Court to release Cauvery water in time for the Delta farmers to undertake sowing operations, while Karnataka too sought the apex court’s relief, contesting the water release. 

Talking to newsmen after meeting the Governor at Raj Bhavan, Siddaramaiah said, “I have in detail appraised the Governor about the developments that took place after the apex court direction to release 6000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for seven days and about the views of all political parties for not releasing the water due to depleted levels in Cauvery basin reservoirs.” The fresh Cauvery row began with the two member Bench of the Supreme Court first directing the State to release 15,000 cusecs of water on September 2 for 10 days to save the samba crop and asked Supervisory Committee to monitor and also Tamil Nadu to complain if there was any shortage. It had subsequently brought down the release to 12,000 cusecs per day. The Committee which met after a week again ordered release of 3000 cusecs for one week. But the apex court on September 20 directed the Karnataka to release 6000 cusecs per day for one week and has posted the next hearing to September 28.

In a related development, Karnataka Congress MPs on Thursday staged a dharna in front of Gandhi statue in the Vidhana Soudha, in protest against Supreme Court direction to release water from Cauvery to Tamil Nadu and demanded immediate intervention by Prime Minister Modi to solve the issue. 

Meanwhile. the DMK on Thursday urged the Tamil Nadu government to discuss the next course of action on the Cauvery water dispute with Karnataka. “In Karnataka, an Assembly session has been convened hurriedly on September 23 to discuss the Supreme Court’s direction. At the same time, should not the legislature in Tamil Nadu also be convened,” DMK president M. Karunanidhi said in a statement. Such a session could be useful to chalk out the next course of action and strategy, as Karnataka on Wednesday deferred water release till Friday, he noted.