Karnataka Chief Minister Shivakumar has said he has requested Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay to visit the Cauvery basin in Karnataka and assess the ground situation, amid renewed tensions over water releases.
The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee has directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days. The order has triggered protests by farmers in Mandya district, while Kannada organisations staged demonstrations in Bengaluru, Mysuru and other districts.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Shivakumar said Karnataka has not received adequate rainfall this year. He said he has held consultations with the irrigation minister, officials and legal experts on filing an appeal against the committee’s directive, and that officials will decide whether to move the Cauvery Water Management Authority or a court.
Shivakumar also said Vijay had expressed willingness for talks, wrote to the state chief secretary and spoke to him over the phone. He said he invited Vijay to meet him and that arrangements for the visit have been made, including offering a helicopter to view the basin.
Irrigation Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the four reservoirs in the Cauvery catchment currently hold only 44 TMC of water, making it difficult to release water to Tamil Nadu. He added that Karnataka plans to appeal against the committee’s order.
