Centre to decide on sending expert team to basin states

The Centre is likely to take a call on sending an expert team to study the ground reality in the Cauvery basin states when Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti chairs a meeting of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu representatives on Thursday here as directed by the Supreme Court.

A decision is also likely to be taken for installing an inflow measurement system in all the Cauvery basin reservoirs, a source told DH.

Karnataka will be represented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Water Resources Minister M B Patil and Chief Secretary Arvind Jadhav. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has nominated  Public Works Minister Edappadi S Palanisamy to attend the meeting.

Jayalalithaa, is undergoing treatment for fever and dehydration at a Chennai hospital.
In the meeting, Water Resources Secretary Shashi Shekhar and officials from the Central Water Commission will make presentation about the current storage of water and requirement of water for both drinking purposes as well as irrigation in Cauvery basin states.

A day head of the meeting, Union Ministers from Karnataka, Ananth Kumar, D V Sadananda Gowda, Ramesh Jigajinagi and BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa met Uma Bharti and requested her to send an expert committee to all Cauvery basin states and take a decision on the issue.