Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held an all-party meeting on Wednesday to discuss the response to the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s directive to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu over 15 days. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, overseeing Irrigation, and other cabinet members, along with Opposition leaders, attended the noon meeting. This came after an emergency cabinet meeting on the same issue on Tuesday. Deputy CM Shivakumar is set to meet Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh soon regarding the Cauvery dispute. The CWRC’s recommendation was for 5,000 cusecs, contrasting with Tamil Nadu’s demand for 12,500 cusecs.
“DK Shivakumar will travel to Delhi to meet Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat after attending the meeting of the cabinet (on Wednesday),” an official said.
On Monday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah criticized the central government for what he perceived as delays in approving the Mekedatu project. He also accused the people of Tamil Nadu of unnecessarily creating disputes over the Cauvery River.
Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) of playing political games with the Cauvery water-sharing issue.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai emphasized the need for the state government to take a firm stance on the issue and halt the sharing of Cauvery water with Tamil Nadu.
Previously, the Tamil Nadu government approached the Supreme Court, seeking a directive for Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs of water daily from Karnataka’s reservoirs.
In response, the Karnataka government submitted an affidavit opposing Tamil Nadu’s request, stating that it was based on the assumption of normal rainfall this year.
This dispute over Cauvery water has persisted for decades, with both states relying on the river for various purposes, including irrigation and drinking water.
To address this ongoing conflict, the Central government established the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on June 2, 1990, to mediate disputes among Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Puducherry regarding their water-sharing capacities.
