Hans News Service Bengaluru

KarnatakaChief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said the state government will take its next decision on the Cauvery water dispute only after consulting legal experts and holding discussions with opposition leaders at the scheduled all-party meeting.

Addressing a press conference at Vidhana Soudha, the Chief Minister said the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) has directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days. He noted that similar distress-sharing directions had been issued in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2023, but maintained that every decision must take into account the prevailing situation in Karnataka.

CM Shivakumar said the state had appealed before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) seeking a reduction in the quantity of water to be released and requesting additional time. Karnataka’s legal team, including the Advocate General and senior officials, argued that the state was facing a difficult water situation. However, the Authority held that Karnataka’s improving reservoir inflows justified the release of the reduced quantity of 4.5 TMC over 15 days.

The Chief Minister said reservoir inflows had shown encouraging signs in recent days. According to him, Harangi Reservoir is at 95 per cent, Kabini at 83 per cent, Hemavathi at 67 per cent, while Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) stands at 36 per cent capacity. Daily inflows into Karnataka’s reservoirs have increased to around 25,000 cusecs, while the CWRC has directed the release of 3,500 cusecs.

Despite the improved inflows, Shivakumar reiterated that protecting Karnataka’s farmers and ensuring drinking water security remain the government’s foremost responsibility. He said the government has already taken steps to safeguard drinking water supplies and fill irrigation tanks across the state.

The Chief Minister also acknowledged the support extended by Karnataka’s Members of Parliament and Union Ministers, stating that leaders cutting across party lines had collectively represented the state’s concerns before the Centre. He said Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, V Somanna, Shobha Karandlaje, along with other MPs, had made efforts to support Karnataka’s appeal.

Highlighting the state’s position, Shivakumar said Karnataka had released only 0.6 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu till the end of July, the lowest quantity released during this period in nearly 100 years. He clarified that this was not water released from reservoirs but natural runoff generated by rainfall around Bengaluru.

Appealing against the proposed Karnataka Bandh on August 13, the Chief Minister urged pro-Kannada organisations and farmer groups to reconsider their decision, saying protests and shutdowns would inconvenience the public without offering any practical solution. He assured that the government remained fully committed to protecting Karnataka’s interests through legal and constitutional means.

Shivakumar also indicated that the proposed meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, earlier scheduled for August 3, may be postponed due to the prevailing tensions. He said Karnataka would request a fresh date once the current situation becomes more conducive for dialogue, stressing that both states should resolve the issue through mutual respect and cooperation.

On the long-pending Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, the Chief Minister reiterated that the project would primarily benefit both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu by ensuring drinking water supply and hydroelectric power generation. He clarified that the proposed 66 TMC storage would not be used for irrigation and would instead help Karnataka comply with distress-sharing obligations during difficult years.

Shivakumar said the government would await the views of legal experts, former Chief Ministers, opposition leaders and stakeholders at Sunday’s all-party meeting before deciding on any further legal or administrative action in the Cauvery dispute.