"Sit together and sort it out" former PM Deve Gowda on Cauvery water row

As the Cauvery water sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is simmering, former Prime Minister HD Devegowda on Monday said that the "quarrel" among two neighbouring states will not be solved "legally" and that a solution will come out only after both sides sit together.

As the Cauvery water sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is simmering, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Monday said that the "quarrel" among two neighbouring states will not be solved "legally" and that a solution will come out only after both sides sit together. The Rajya Sabha MP, with folded hands, requested Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to sit together and sort out the problem.

While speaking during the discussion on 'Parliamentary journey of 75 years, starting from Samvidhan Sabha-Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings', the JD(S) MP in the Upper House said, "...Just only one word I would like to say, this quarrel will not be solved legally. If at all for friends who wants to have some sort of smooth understanding. Let all of us sit together and sort out the problem. Otherwise things will continue...and struggle from both sides will go on and this is not going to solve the problem...It's a humble request...I only pray this problem will not be solved unless we sit together (and) try to sort out this problem from our sides. Legal battles certainly will not be going out to solve out this problem." In its deliberations held on Monday the Cauvery Water Management Authority has asked Karnataka to continue supply of 5000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days effective September 13. The next meeting of the Authority has been scheduled for Septemeber 26.

Meanwhile Tamil Nadu Water Resource Minister Durai Murugan is in Delhi with a delegation of MPs and MLAs to meet with Union Water Resource minister Gajendra Shekhawat in an effort to break the impasse over water release. Karnataka has cited severe drought in parts of its state to refuse supply of water to Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Government has accused its neighbour of lying to the nation on the supply of water.

The governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been locked in a protracted tussle over the sharing of Cauvery waters. The river is seen as a major source of sustenance for the people in either state. The Centre formed the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on June 2, 1990, to adjudicate disputes between Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Puducherry with respect to their individual water-sharing capacities. (ANI)

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