Bengaluru: It is a set back again to Karnataka. The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu per day from September 21 to 27. The state government approached the Supreme Court challenging Cauvery Supervisory Committee’s order of releasing 3,000 cusecs of Cauvery per day for 10 days. The Cauvery Supervisory Committee meet was held on Monday.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had discussed the Supreme Court’s directive to the states with senior Congress leaders on Tuesday evening. Speaking with media persons, Siddaramaiah said the Cabinet meeting would be held on Wednesday. “We are yet to receive the Supreme Court’s order. We will discuss the Supreme Court’s order in the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. We will take a decision after discussing the issue. I have convened all-party meeting on Wednesday evening to discuss the issue,” the Chief Minister said.
The Supreme Court had directed the Centre to constitute Cauvery Water Management Board within four weeks. The Cauvery Water Management Board has to decide sharing of Cauvery water. The next hearing on Cauvery water dispute will be held in Supreme Court on September 27.
It may be recalled the Supreme Court on September 5 had directed the state government to release 15,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu for 10 days when Karnataka’s counsel Fali S Nariman filed an affidavit to release 10,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. On September 12, the Supreme Court has modified its earlier order by ordering the state government to release 12,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day till September 20.
Meanwhile, the activists of Cauvery Farmers’ Rights Protection Committee and other pro-Kannada and pro-farmer associations have intensified agitation protesting the Supreme Court ordering Karnataka to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The police have beefed up security in Bengaluru, Mandya, Ramanagaram and Mysuru. The police have also banned the sale of liquor in Mysuru and Bengaluru till midnight on Tuesday.
The government has deployed 15,000 policemen, 30 platoons of City Armed Reserve police, 114 quick response teams, 270 Hoysala vehicles apart from 16 companies of central forces, including three companies of Shashtra Seema Bal, three companies of Border Security Force, were deployed to maintain law and order. The police have installed 320 surveillance cameras at sensitive areas to monitor the situation.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to convene Cabinet meeting on Wednesday and take a decision on the Supreme Court’s directive to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day from September 21 to 27.
Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara opined that Supreme Court’s directive as injustice to Karnataka. “As of now no decision has been taken on challenging the Supreme Court’s order. The Cabinet will take a decision on this. Karantaka’s counsel Nariman has argued before the Supreme Court stating that Karnataka has no water. We have beefed up security to maintain law and order in the state,’’ Parameshwara said.
Meanwhile, former chief minister and JD(S) leader in the State Assembly, H D Kumaraswamy has described the Supreme Court directive to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as a death sentence. JD(S) MP from Mandya C S Puttaraju has resigned as the MP. Ramesh Babu, JD(S) MLC has described the Supreme Court directive to the Centre to constitute Cauvery Water Management Board within four weeks as a damaging order to the state. “Once the Cauvery Water Management Board is formed, all the reservoirs go to their control. State will lose its control and even for the entry to KRS, we have to take their permission. Very damaging order on State. It is unfortunate,’’ Ramesh Babu said.
