Bracing up for yet another confrontation with the judiciary, the State government on Saturday decided not to release water to Tamil Nadu, despite the Supreme Court order, till a special State legislature session convened on Monday takes a call on the matter.
The apex court on Friday had ordered release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu at the rate of 6,000 cusecs from October 1 to 6. The State’s decision comes despite the Supreme Court warning of the “wrath of law”. On September 23, the State legislature had passed a resolution stating that water would be utilised from four reservoirs only for drinking purposes in towns and villages in the Cauvery Basin, including Bengaluru.
Briefing reporters after a Cabinet meeting on Saturday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah termed the SC order on formation of the CMB as “defective”. The State decided against suggesting any representative to the CMB, for which the deadline was Saturday. Replying to a question on the release of 6,000 cusecs of water to T.N., he said, “We have to go back to the Assembly. Legislators from the Cauvery basin are also demanding water since standing crops are drying up. Even to release water to canals (in Karnataka), we have to go back to the Assembly.” Earlier in the day, the all-party meeting convened by Mr. Siddaramaiah had all major political parties — the Congress, the BJP, and Janata Dal (S) demanding that the government abide by the resolution adopted by the legislature.
