Cauvery water release order: Karnataka to move SC on Sept 10, says minister

Karnataka Water Resources Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy on Wednesday (September 9) said that the state government will move the Supreme Court on Thursday challenging the orders directing the state to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily to Tamil Nadu.

On Tuesday, the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) upheld the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's (CWRC) recommendation directing Karnataka to ensure a flow of 6,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days from September 9.

What minister said

"The matter has been discussed at length with Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and preparations are under way to file a petition before the SC tomorrow after consultations with the legal team," Chaluvarayaswamy told reporters in Bengaluru.

Also read: Shivakumar vs Kumaraswamy: Vokkaliga rivalry reshapes Karnataka politics

He also said the government has directed officials to file a review petition before the CWRC against its order.

The minister said Karnataka's reservoir levels were currently "very critical" and the state does not have sufficient water to release.

"At present, priority has to be given only to drinking water. At the same time, there is a need to fill dried-up lakes and tanks," he said.

‘TN govt continues to exert pressure’

The situation could improve to some extent only if the state received good rainfall within a week of the Gowri-Ganesha festival, he said, expressing concern over the prevailing water situation.

Also read: Karnataka tells SC it is complying with 9,000-cusec Cauvery water release order

Pointing out that the Tamil Nadu government continues to exert pressure, Chaluvarayaswamy said, the government would seriously consider appointing a Special Advocate to represent Karnataka's interests before the Supreme Court, as suggested by former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

"We will also speak to him on the issue," the minister said.

Minister criticises authorities

On Tuesday, the minister criticised the functioning of authorities making decisions from Delhi, saying they could not understand the situation on the ground.

"The Constitution and administration benches sitting in Delhi do not understand the ground realities. There have been instances in the past when similar orders were issued without understanding the actual situation," he said.

On the water storage in the state's various reservoirs, the minister said around 50 per cent of the available water was being reserved exclusively for drinking water purposes.

"Water has been supplied to farmers' crops as required through the Bhadra and Upper Krishna Project (UKP) in those regions. Water has also been released through the river to ensure there is no drinking water shortage in the Chitradurga region," he said.