CM calls for all party meet tomorrow

Bengaluru: With Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) directing the Karnataka Government to release one TMC of water to Tamil Nadu every, Chief Minister Siddaramiaah said the State Government would move Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) against the verdict, here this morning.

Addressing the media persons after presiding over a meeting with concerned ministers and senior officials at his home office ‘Krishna’, here yesterday, CM Siddaramaiah said that an all-party meeting would be convened tomorrow (July 14) to discuss on the further course to be initiated by the State Government.

Despite initial forecasts of normal rainfall, Siddaramaiah revealed that Karnataka is grappling with a staggering 28 percent shortfall in water inflows. We made our case clear before the CWRC, urging that no decisions be made until the end of July. Yet, the CWRC has directed us to begin daily releases starting July 12,” he lamented.

The upcoming all-party meeting will see participation from Union Ministers, Members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and MLAs from the Cauvery river basin region, underscoring the collective commitment to tackling this pressing issue.

Siddaramaiah remarked that the Government will carefully weigh its next steps after engaging with all stakeholders.

Currently, 5,000 cusecs of water is being dispatched to Tamil Nadu at Biligundlu, equivalent to the inflow from the Kabini dam. Alarmingly, the total water available across all four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin is a mere 60 TMCFT. Siddaramaiah highlighted the critical need to prioritise water for agricultural activities, reiterating that due to the rainfall deficit, the deferring of decision until the end of July is essential for the State farmers.