An all-party meeting of Karnataka leaders is underway to discuss about next course of action regarding the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called for an all-party meeting amid the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) ordering Karnataka to release 5000 cusecs of water for 15 more days. However, former Karnataka CM and JD-S Leader HD Kumaraswamy will not attend the all-party meeting called by the state government, he confirmed to ANI. Former CM Basavaraj Bommai also said that he skipped the meet called on Tuesday night due to a scheduled program.
The Karnataka state government called a meeting to discuss the Cauvery dispute, the meeting is underway.
After the meeting, DK Shivakumar is set to meet Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat soon to discuss about the issue.
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On Tuesday, Karnataka CMO said, CM Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar along with cabinet ministers held an emergency meeting over the Cauvery water-sharing issue after CWRC ordered Karnataka to release 5000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu.
CWRC Orders To Release 5,000 Cusecs Of Water
Earlier, Karnataka made a submission that the state was not in a position to release water unless the inflow to the reservoir increased. The state also highlighted the severity of drought in the Cauvery basin of Karnataka which made it difficult even to meet drinking water needs.
However, Tamil Nadu government demanded Karnataka to release a total of 12,500 cusecs of water for the next 15 days. It must be noted that 6,500 cusecs of water were a backlog.
After hearing both sides, CWRC recommended Karnataka on Tuesday to ensure 5,000 cusecs realization at Biligundlu for the next 15 days starting from Wednesday.
HD Kumaraswamy Condemns Cauvery Board's Decision
On Cauvery water row, former Karnataka CM and JD-S Leader HD Kumaraswamy told ANI, "...Unjustifiable decision taken by the Central Water Management Board. Here we are facing water scarcity. Our state government directed the farmers to not cultivate crops this year... Even drinking water is going to be a big issue in Bengaluru in the coming days."
"The Water Management Board is favouring Tamil Nadu every time. Why are they directing the Karnataka government to release water? I demand that this government reject the Central Water Management board's decision," he said.
Former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai said, "The state government has called a meeting late last night to discuss the Cauvery dispute. However, I am not able to attend the meeting called by the government as I have participated in the pre-arranged program of my constituency."