BENGALURU: On a day Karnataka observed a bandh against releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Friday lambasted the Congress government for its “very casual” approach to the issue.
The Bengaluru South MP alleged that the Congress is approaching the issue in a “duplicitous manner” to help its I.N.D.I.A bloc partner, DMK in Tamil Nadu.
“There is no coordination between the CM and the Deputy CM. The state government is very casual in its approach. Are they trying to approach this issue in this duplicitous manner because it will help their I.N.D.I Alliance partner, the DMK government for 2024?” he asked.
“The state government is releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. If Cauvery river water is going to Tamil Nadu like this, the people of Bengaluru will not have drinking water. The Karnataka government has failed to present its case before the CWMA (Cauvery Water Management Authority)”, Surya said.
He said that releasing additional water to Tamil Nadu will severely compromise Karnataka’s drinking water needs. The BJP MP said this “very grim reality” needed to be presented before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).
“The water situation in Karnataka is extremely grim. The state has suffered a 60 per cent deficit rainfall this year. The state needs about 106 tmcft of water, but has only 50 tmcft of water. Out of the 34 taluks in the Cauvery basin, 32 are declared a severely drought-hit. Farmers do not have water to support their one standing crop. In this scenario, releasing additional water to Tamil Nadu will severely compromise the state’s drinking water needs”, he said.
Surya further said, “Cauvery is a national asset. Karnataka should not suffer injustice because another state is not sharing the distress. There is a rainfall deficit here. When you are sharing surplus, you must also come forward to share distress. This is the argument of Karnataka made before the Cauvery Water Management Authority and I don’t find anything unreasonable in the position”.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier expressed his disappointment on the recommendation of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) which has directed Karnataka to ensure the release of 3,000 cusecs of Cauvery water at Biligundlu starting from September 28 up to October 15, 2023.
Farmers’ unions and pro-Kannada organisations called for a Karnataka bandh today after the CWRC ordered to release of 3000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu. Many protesters were seen raising slogans that the Cauvery river belongs to Karnataka.
The matter has been a controversial issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for decades and the two states have been locked in battle over the sharing of Cauvery water, which is a major source of irrigation and drinking water for millions of people in the region.
The Centre formed the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on June 2, 1990, to adjudicate disputes between Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Puducherry with respect to the water-sharing capacities. (ANI)