‘Karnataka has water only for drinking, not irrigation; give us time till inflows improve’: Basavaraj Bommai on Cauvery water row

NEW DELHI: Former Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai on Friday asserted that the state currently has water only to meet drinking water requirements and not for agriculture, urging that the State be given more time until reservoir inflows improve before releasing water to Tamil Nadu under the Cauvery water-sharing arrangement.

Bommai said the assessment of southwest monsoon rainfall should be made only after the end of the monsoon season and argued that the current hydrological situation did not justify the direction to release water. “We are having Southwest Monsoon. Southwest Monsoon total rain should be ultimately calculated by the end of the monsoon, that is end of August, not in the middle of the monsoon as they have done. That should be highlighted,” Bommai said.

He further pointed out that Tamil Nadu receives rainfall during the northeast monsoon after September, which, according to him, had not been factored into the current assessment. “Tamil Nadu will get Northeast monsoon after September. That they don’t enter, they don’t take into account. Whatever we have, we can store and give it to Tamil Nadu, whereas if they get rain later, they can’t give it back to Karnataka. This is a fundamental point,” he said.

#WATCH | Delhi: On Cauvery water dispute, BJP MP & former Karnataka CM, Basavaraj S Bommai says, “… Whatever we have, we can store and give it to Tamil Nadu. But whereas down the line, Tamil Nadu, if they get rain, it can’t give water to Karnataka. We have only drinking… pic.twitter.com/qhDsEmNyej

— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2026

Bommai stressed that Karnataka’s immediate priority must be securing drinking water supplies. “We have got water only for drinking water. We have not let down for agriculture or anything. Whereas they are asking water for agriculture. That means they have got sufficient water for drinking. National Water Policy says that highest priority should be given to drinking water, which is not followed,” he said.

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He also claimed that Tamil Nadu’s reservoirs currently hold over 40 TMC of water that could be used for standing crops, while Karnataka’s reservoir inflows remain inadequate.

“Our inflows are very low. There is an El Nino effect all over the country, which is not taken into account while calculating the flows of water to Tamil Nadu. Bengaluru, a major technical and economic capital, giving water is a national responsibility. It is going to suffer if we release water now. Therefore, what we have asked is to give us a little time so that the inflows will improve. We are expecting rain. Once the rain comes, then we can review the whole thing,” Bommai said.

The former Chief Minister, however, expressed disappointment over the manner in which Karnataka’s case was presented before the authorities. “Unfortunately, our officials didn’t put these points emphatically, that’s why we got this order,” he said.

Bommai said the Karnataka government must ensure drinking water security for Mandya, Mysuru, en route towns and villages, as well as Bengaluru. “The government should ensure, basically, first drinking water to Mandya, Mysuru, en route towns and villages, and Bengaluru major city. That is the primary duty of the government. Otherwise, from January to May, Bengaluru will suffer a severe water crisis. That should be avoided by planning now only,” he said.

He added that an all-party meeting convened by the Karnataka government on Sunday would deliberate on the issue. “We have spoken to Union Jal Shakti Minister and apprised him of the situation. I have also spoken to the Chief Minister of Karnataka. Sunday there is a meeting where all-party leaders will be there. We have always stood with the government in inter-state water disputes. We don’t want to do politics here. We are united and will advise the government to take the best legal course and save water for Karnataka,” Bommai said.

His remarks come after the Centre informed Parliament that it had returned Karnataka’s Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposed Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir-cum-Drinking Water Project, asking the state to submit a revised DPR in compliance with the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award and Central Water Commission guidelines.

The comments also come after the Cauvery Water Management Authority upheld the recommendation of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee directing Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu for 15 days, amounting to a total release of 4 TMC of water. Karnataka has challenged the direction and Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has convened an all-party meeting on August 2 to discuss the state’s legal and administrative response. (ANI)