Mysuru: Reports stating that the Karnataka government has released water from the Kabini dam to neighbouring state Tamil Nadu, has created an outrage in the city.
“Farmers from the region have been protesting the storage in the reservoirs of the Cauvery basin in the State which is plummeting due to failure of monsoons, and in such circumstances the government is releasing water to Tamil Nadu is not justified”, said a protesting farmer.
Recently, the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said here, that the State was unable to meet Tamil Nadu’s water needs in the wake of failure of monsoon and dipping water levels in its reservoirs. However, they have gone ahead and released the water that has caused confusion among the people of the region and farmers.
Earlier, Union Law Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda on Thursday backed Karnataka’s position on Cauvery waters saying the current situation does not permit the State to release water to Tamil Nadu. The State was in distress due to failure of monsoon and is not in a position to release water at this stage, he had added.
Sadananda Gowda said that over 450 farmers had committed suicide in the State over the last few months. In this hour of crisis, if water was released to the neighbouring State, it might incite farmers to resort to the extreme step, he said.
The storage in the reservoirs of the Cauvery basin in the State is plummeting. The water level at the Krishnaraja Sagar Reservoir on Thursday, was 106.1 ft as against the maximum of 124.8 ft. The level on this day last year was 124.8 ft, according to figures of the State Disaster Management Centre.
The level in Kabini reservoir is 2,276.41 ft as against the maximum of 2,284 ft. On this day last year, the level was 2,284 ft. The water level at Hemavathi reservoir is dropping fast. On Thursday, it stood at 2,901.5 ft as against the maximum of 2,922 ft. The level on this day last year was 2,921 ft. At Harangi dam, the level stood at 2,851.44 ft as against the maximum of 2,859 ft. The level on this day last year was 2,857.95 ft, according to the Centre.
