On Monday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed the concerned authorities to commence releasing dam water to support irrigation, allowing cultivators to start sowing activities. “Nearly all reservoirs in Karnataka are brimming. We should not postpone supplying water for agriculture,” he urged after presenting baagina to River Cauvery at the KRS Dam near Mysuru.
He instructed officials to channel water to farmlands via canals and emphasized that Karnataka had already sent 42 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu—far surpassing the 9.1 TMC mandated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal for June. This demonstrates that releasing water locally will not provoke resistance from Tamil Nadu downstream.
Highlighting budgetary support, he mentioned an allocation of ₹25,000 crore to the water resources department and ₹19,000 crore in subsidies for pumpsets to benefit farmers. Countering accusations of fiscal mismanagement, he recalled how opponents labeled his leadership as ill-fated during last year’s drought. “But today, generous rainfall and promising agricultural prospects prove otherwise,” he remarked.
Additionally, he declared ₹3,000 crore for Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited. Accompanied by Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and Minister Cheluvarayaswamy, Siddaramaiah performed several rituals marking the occasion.
This custom, initiated by ex-CM Devaraja Urs in 1979, is observed when the dam reaches full capacity—a milestone achieved 76 times in 93 years. Notably, it is the first instance of the dam filling in June since construction, prompting Siddaramaiah to suggest erecting a commemorative plaque.