SC decision puts Karnataka government in tight spot

The Supreme Court’s direction to Karnataka to approach the Cauvery River Authority for a stay on release of 9,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu has put the state government and the people of the Cauvery basin in a tight spot.

Friday’s development has worried many in south Karnataka as the release of 9,000 cusecs for five more days would bring down water level in Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir. The government has released 23 tmc ft of water from Kabini and Krishnaraja Sagar reservoirs till now.

The Irrigation Department that released more than 10 tmc ft of water from Kabini reservoir to TN has stopped the discharge as the level has reduced from 2,283 ft to 2,264 ft.

The officials had also released water from Hemavathi and Harangi reservoirs as the KRS level has come down to 105.2 ft as against maximum of 124.8 ft.

The KRS has 18 tmc ft of water and water release from the dam was 11,791 cusecs and the inflow 6,307 cusecs. The discharge from Hemavathi and Harangi reservoirs has been stopped since Sunday night following  stiff opposition from farmers.

The Cauvery River Protection Committee and activists have pledged support to the government.

However, the government has not made any open remark as the decision to stop water may attract the SC wrath for defying the CRA orders.

The farmers fear that continuing the release of water may worsen the law and situation in the region, affect the standing crops spread across more than six lakh hectares and create drinking water crisis in Bangalore, Mysore, Mandya and other places in the Cauvery basin.

Mass Resignation Demanded

Cauvery River Protection Committee chairman G Made Gowda has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, all MLAs, and the Union Ministers and MPs from the state. He said the 25-day-long peaceful agitation would turn violent if water was released from KRS and Kabini reservoirs.

Threatening that politicians would not be allowed to walk on the streets, Gowda said the committee had no faith in the affidavit filed by the state clarifying that it would not release water to Tamil Nadu.