The former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has extended an invitation to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi to visit Karnataka and see for themselves the plight of people dependent on Cauvery waters.
Mr. Gowda told The Hindu on Tuesday that Tamil Nadu leaders should come to Karnataka and assess the ground realities in the Cauvery basin. The people of Karnataka were facing a shortage of Cauvery waters, not only for irrigation but also for drinking.
“I will personally receive them if they come,” Mr. Gowda said.
The former Prime Minister argued that the lower riparian State of Tamil Nadu was demanding water for the next crop of the year, while Karnataka’s farmers were struggling to save their first crop, and residents of several towns and cities were facing uncertainty over drinking water supply.
Mr. Gowda’s invitation comes after the conclusion of a visit by a Central team that took stock of the situation in the Cauvery basin.
