BENGALURU: In a carefully worded resolution that did not talk about what the Supreme Court order said or Tamil Nadu's demand, the Karnataka legislature on Friday took a firm stand not to release Cauvery water for any purpose other than the drinking requirements of Bengaluru city , and towns and villages coming under the Cauvery basin.
"The resolution is unani mously passed after carefully considering the needs of the inhabitants of the state of Karnataka whose interests are likely to be gravely jeopardized if water in the four reservoirs is in any way reduced -other than for meeting the drinking water requirements of inhabitants in the Cauvery basin including the entire city of Bengaluru," it said. The resolution was passed by both Houses of Karnataka legislature at the one-day session exclusively convened to discuss the Supreme Court order of September 20.
In his speech in the assembly , Siddaramaiah confined to the sufferings of the farmers and the drinking water crisis. Siddaramaiah said the state was facing drought for the second consecutive year and of the total 176 taluks, 135 had been declared as drought -hit. The water level in Cauvery's four reservoirs was 27.6 tmcft, which the state had to sustain till May next.
In contrast the water level in Mettur dam was 52 tmcft. The south-west monsoon is receding in Karnataka, whereas the north-east monsoon will commence in Tamil Nadu. Besides, the north-east monsoon has never failed. "In such a situation, it is our political dharma to help the farmers. We have told them to go in for semi-dry crops,'' the CM said.
The court has asked Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu until September 27. An all-party meeting convened by the CM on September 21 had decided to convene an emergency legislature session to take the Houses into confidence regarding the next course of action.
Siddaramaiah said he was bound by whatever decision the legislature takes on releasing water as it has to look into the farmers' interests. "However, a situation had cropped up where it was impossible to implement the court's directive. This did not mean the government has slighted the judiciary ,'' he stated.
