State farmers may get Cauvery water

A special session of the state legislature on Monday is expected to take a call on the release of Cauvery water to help farmers in the basin save their standing crops.

Sources in the Congress said if the session resolves to release Cauvery water to Karnataka farmers, then some amount will naturally flow into Tamil Nadu. The state would not only be providing water to its farmers but will also be complying with the Supreme Court directive to some extent at least, the sources said. Karnataka has defied the Supreme Court orders on release of water to the neighbouring state thrice. The apex court on Friday last had said it was the last warning to Karnataka against defiance.

Both the houses of the state legislature are scheduled to meet at 11 am and the Cauvery issue is the only item on the agenda during the day-long session. Monday’s session has been convened following the Supreme Court directive to the state government to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu every day from October 1 to 6. The Court has also directed the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board (CWMB) by October 4.

The legislature session held on September 23 had resolved to conserve 27.6 tmcft of water in the four reservoirs of Cauvery basin for drinking purpose only. At an all-party meeting on Saturday, a section of leaders had sought that the government release Cauvery water to save withering crops of Karnataka farmers in the basin region. A Council of Ministers’ meeting, held later in the day, decided that in case water has to be released for irrigation purposes, then the legislature has to discuss it again.

The present storage in the four reservoirs is 33.24 tmcft. The opposition BJP and JD(S) have stated that the government should stick to the resolution adopted by the legislature on September 23 that due to severe distress situation in the Cauvery basin, it was not possible for Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu.