A delegation of Karnataka ministers, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, held talks with Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat in New Delhi on Thursday to address the Cauvery water issue.
During this New Delhi meeting, the Karnataka delegation engaged in comprehensive discussions with Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat concerning the pressing Cauvery water dispute.
The meeting took place amidst the Karnataka government’s efforts to seek a suspension of the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s order, which mandated the release of 5000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for a 15-day period until September 26. Notable attendees included Deputy Chief Minister D K Shiva Kumar, Agriculture Minister N Cheluvaraya Swamy, and special representatives to the government of Karnataka in New Delhi, T B Jayachandra and Prakash Hukkerian.
In a related development, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah presided over a meeting with Union Ministers and All-Party MPs from Karnataka in the national capital on Wednesday.
Following this pivotal gathering, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah conveyed, “We seek a stay on the CWMA order in the Supreme Court. We will appeal to the Supreme Court for an injunction against the CWMA order to release water to Tamil Nadu. We competently presented our actual situation before CWMA. There has been the lowest rainfall recorded in August in 123 years which causes increased distress in the state. We have no drinking water, no water for crop protection, no water for industry. So we are in a lot of trouble.”
Siddaramaiah also stressed the need for the Prime Minister’s intervention in this matter, given his authority to convene representatives from both states, stating, “PM has the jurisdiction to summon the people of both the states. So we have appealed to the Prime Minister for his intervention. We have already identified 195 talukas in the state as drought-prone. There has been the lowest rainfall recorded in August in 123 years which causes increased distress in the state.”
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar raised concerns about the scarcity of drinking water in Karnataka following the CWMA’s order, expressing the severity of the situation. He stated, “We are facing a very distressed situation. We are only able to have one-third of the water. CWMA has ordered us to give 5000 cusecs of water for 15 days, we don’t even have water for drinking. We have discussed (this) with all of the Parliament members, who assured us that they are going to support our fight. We are pressing it before the Supreme Court to give us justice. I hope justice will be given to us.”
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda opined that the dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu cannot be resolved “legally” and that a solution can only emerge through direct negotiations between both parties.
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