JOIN USA group of farmers has approached the Supreme Court, urging it to declare Cauvery River Authority (CRA)’s ruling, directing Karnataka to release 9,000 cusec of water for 25 days to Tamil Nadu, as illegal.
They asserted that the decision was taken in view of political compulsions of the ruling party at the Centre.
Along with the writ petition, they also filed an application seeking immediate stay of the CRA’s decision announced on September 19, contending, “drinking water will be a problem even if a single drop of water from the present storage is released to Tamil Nadu.”
Govt’s move
Speaking at an event in Mandya on Tuesday, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said that the State was preparing to approach the Supreme Court, if the prime minister, in his capacity as the chairperson of the Cauvery River Authority (CRA), did not reconsider his direction to the State to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
Shettar said discussions had been held with the State’s counsel Fali S Nariman over filing an appeal in the apex court.
Earlier, speaking at the programme, he said there was water shortage in the Cauvery reservoirs and 49 taluks coming under Cauvery and its tributaries had ben declared drought-hit. It would be impossible to release water to the neighbouring state in such a situation, the chief minister said.
Though there was a requirement of 150 tmc ft of water, including for crops and drinking purposes in cities like Bangalore and Mandya, the availability was a mere 72
tmc ft.
Meeting
At a meeting with the representatives of the Mandya District Farmers’ Welfare Committee in Bangalore, Shettar said that their interests would be protected.
Later speaking to reporters, Committee president G Madegowda said that they advised the chief minister that the State should stick to its present stand, even if the events lead to a “constitutional crisis”.
Shettar is learnt to have told the representatives that he was ready to go to jail, but there would be no release of water to Tamil Nadu.
Karnataka has also filed a review petition before the CRA seeking review of its
September 19 ruling.
Agitation continues
Meanwhile, protests, with agitators forming human chains, burning the effigies of Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalitha and blocking roads, continued in Mandya on Tuesday, with various segments of society joining in.