Not possible to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu: Siddaramaiah
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday shot off a letter to the Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat, stating it is not possible to release the Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu pushing farmers, people and livestock of his state into crisis.
Siddaramaiah underlined, “It is not possible to implement the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) order by pushing the farmers, livestock and people who depend on Cauvery water for drinking purposes into crisis.”
It is not possible to release 5,000 cusecs of water for 15 days from the KRS and Kabini dams through Biligundlu as per committee’s decision, he said.
He had also requested the Union Minister Shekawat to protect the interest of the people of the state and the livestock.
Karnataka had complied with the earlier order of the committee, and presently majority of taluks are facing drought due to failure of Monsoon rains, he said.
“From June to mid – September, Tamil Nadu had utilised 100 tmc of water. The utilisation is more than 1987-88, 2002-03, 2012-13, 2016-17 and 2017-18 in the drought period. Though water levels in Karnataka dams are lowest, the crop cultivation is taken up in Tamil Nadu on a large scale,” Siddaramaiah said.
As per the prediction of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), there are no chances of rain between September 12 and 24.