Minister rules out release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Following a ‘failed’ monsoon, the State is not in a position to release Cauvery water to TN, asserted Agriculture and Mandya District Incharge Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy.

“As a practice, the Government of Tamil Nadu has demanded the release of water from Karnataka. But when there is no water even for drinking, how is it possible to release water to TN? A meeting will be convened soon to discuss the issue”, the minister told reporters in Mandya on Saturday.

When his attention was drawn to the demand by TN to release the quota of water for the month of July, he said the Cauvery basin areas have been facing deficit rainfall.

On the one side water was required for drinking water and on the other hand the state of Tamil Nadu has asked the Central Monitor Committee to direct Karnataka to release water. But the fact has been that there is a shortage of drinking water here and the State was not in a position to release water to the neighbouring state. It would affect even the standing crops.

The same would be discussed with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar. Cheluvarayaswamy said the IMD has predicted the possible improvement in the rain by the end of this month. If that did not happen, the state government would declare the districts as drought-hit and take up the cloud seeding.

“We have offered the special puja for the good rain and we are optimistic that the rain god will respond to their plea. In this grave situation, we need to be optimistic”.

The minister pointed out that the inflow into the KRS dam had been very minimal. The problem was right in front of their eyes. However, the government would do everything to protect the interest of the people in the Cauvery basin.

The Cabinet subcommittee had already held one meeting where it had a preliminary discussion over guidelines to declare a taluk or district drought-hit.