Will flag Cauvery issue before SC and take all steps to ensure water for the state, says Tamil Nadu govt

It will take all efforts to ensure the release of Cauvery water by highlighting the matter before the Supreme Court, Duraimurugan added.Shivakumar had earlier said that Karnataka was in no position to release Cauvery river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu, as it doesnt have enough water storage due to lack of adequate rainfall in the river basin region.

The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday slammed Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's statement that his state was in no position to release water to it, and said it would flag the matter before the Supreme Court to ensure its quota of water from the inter-state river.

Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan said that according to the final award of the Cauvery tribunal and an apex court verdict, water has to be accordingly shared among the states concerned during deficit years.

The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and Cauvery River Management Authority were calculating the quantum of water to be released to the state presently on pro-rata basis due to the deficit rainfall and storage levels in Karnataka dams.

They had directed Karnataka to release water once in 15 days -- and in volumes that are even less than decided by the pro-rata basis.

''It is shocking that Karnataka refuses to give even that (quantum of water),'' Duraimurugan said in a statement.

Referring to the Tuesday order of the CWRC directing the upper riparian state to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu, he said it was less, considering the deficit ratio.

''It is not fair by any means for the Karnataka minister (Shivakumar) to say that Karnataka government cannot provide (the directed quantum of water),'' he added.

He alleged that Karnataka was trying to ''betray'' TN farmers by denying water under the pretext of its drinking water requirements.

''A senior Karnataka minister saying water cannot be released to Tamil Nadu, without considering the welfare of the farmers of the two states, is strongly condemnable. The Tamil Nadu government will never accept activities affecting the state's farmers. It will take all efforts to ensure (the release of ) Cauvery water by highlighting the matter before the Supreme Court,'' Duraimurugan added.

Shivakumar had earlier said that Karnataka was in no position to release Cauvery river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu, as it doesn't have enough water storage due to lack of adequate rainfall in the river basin region. ''....we have to save the water for drinking. Farmers' situation comes next, drinking water is the priority now. So, we will inform the authority that it will be very difficult for us,'' he had said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)