A group of farmers in Karnataka is holding a candlelight vigil all night to protest the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The demonstration at Mandya, near Srirangapatna, began this morning. Their objection is to the recommendation of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee that Karnataka give 5000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for the 15-day period. Darshan Puttanaiah, an independent MLA supported by the Congress, has joined the protest.
DK Shivakumar, the Deputy Chief Minister, is to fly to Delhi tomorrow to discuss the Cauvery water issue.
Tamil Nadu has petitioned the Supreme Court, which will hear the state’s request to order Karnataka to release the water.
After a two-hour discussion, the CWRC reached a decision on the matter on Monday in New Delhi. The panel settled on 5,000 cusecs of water, which is significantly less than the 24,000 cusecs requested by Tamil Nadu and the more than 3,000 cusecs agreed to by Karnataka.
Farmers in Karnataka launched a full-scale protest in response to the decision, which caused a flare-up. The farmers’ union, which is chaired by Melukote MLA Darshan Puttannaiah, has made the decision to begin an indefinite strike at Brindavan Gardens near KRS Dam on Thursday in an effort to halt the delivery of water right away. In the area of the Mandy Deputy Commissioner’s office, another group of farmers has organised for a demonstration.
In an affidavit, Karnataka asserts that the Tribunal’s order was flawed because it was predicated on the erroneous premise that the state was experiencing a typical monsoon, which was not the case.
The state cannot afford to release water, according to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, because doing so will deplete the reservoirs and result in a shortage of drinking water.
In order to discuss the Cauvery water issue, Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar said he intends to visit to Delhi. In addition, Siddaramaiah, the chief minister, and other legal professionals are currently discussing the current issue, according to Shivakumar.
“I’m meeting with our legal team in Delhi tomorrow. On Friday, a hearing regarding Tamil Nadu’s request about the Cauvery water will take place. Following Tamil Nadu’s demand for 24–25 TMC, our department officials have argued quite persuasively. Press Trust of India’s news agency earlier today cited Mr. Shivakumar as adding, “We stated we can supply 3,000 cusecs.
According to local media sources, Karnataka started releasing water from the KRS Dam to the river on Wednesday night. As a result, the reservoir’s water level dropped to 100.96 feet, which is less than its 124.80 feet of total storage capacity.
Karnataka strongly contested the matter at the CWRC meeting, according to Shivakumar, who is in charge of the major and medium irrigation projects. “We have described the circumstances. The matter was also submitted by the technical committee. Our officers have also described the precise circumstances. We will consult with our legal professionals. I’ll have a word with the chief minister. In Mysuru on Wednesday, Shivakumar told reporters, “I have spoken to our police about the current scenario.
Between the two southern states, there has been a long-standing dispute over Cauvery water. To resolve their differences, the Centre established the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in 1990.
