No Cauvery water to TN now, says DKS

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: With Kar nataka facing its worst drought in about four decades that has affected the capital city, the government on Monday announced restrictions on drilling of borewells in the metropolis and categorically stated water from Cauvery river will not be released to neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar told reporters the State had not witnessed such a severe drought in the past threefour decades, and that the next two months are "very much important."

He claimed the situation was not as grave as being projected by the opposition BJP.

Amid the crisis, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) said it will take legal action against those drilling unauthorised borewells within the city limits, following up on an earlier order that banned the usage of potable water for non-essential purposes in Bengaluru and warning of penalising the violators with a fine of Rs 5,000.

From March 15 onwards, prior online approval has to be sought for digging borewells, the BWSSB said.

Shivakumar also asserted there is no question of releasing Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu at any cost now.

"We are not fools in this government to release water (to Tamil Nadu)," added Shivakumar, also the State Congress chief, even as the BJP had attacked the Congress with being keen to protect the interests of the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu.

Congress and DMK are allies. Further, the situation is not as grave as is being projected by the BJP, he said and urged the opposition party to ensure clearance from the Centre for Mekedatu, Mahadayi and other water projects of the state.

Responding to a reporter's question, he said it was not his job to ask people to work from home (in the wake of the water crisis), and such a situation has not arisen yet.

"It is only a blowup." The government is committed to providing water to citizens of Bengaluru at any cost.

"People may have to wait for a few hours for water to reach them," he said. The administration is making all efforts to manage the crisis and supply water to the citizens, he said, adding, steps have been taken to control the water "mafia" in the city.

"In the last 30-40 years we had not seen such drought; though there was drought earlier we had never declared such a large number of taluks as drought-affected," Shivakumar said.

The deputy CM, also incharge of Bengaluru development, said wherever Cauvery river water has to be supplied in the city, it is being done, but out of 13,900- odd borewells in Bengaluru, nearly 7,000 have become defunct.

"So to control the situation, we have arranged for tankers to supply water. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) are making all efforts in this regard," he added.