Karnataka will express its inability to release Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu at the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) meeting scheduled for September 19 in New Delhi.
It will seek a distress formula, citing the unprecedented drought in the State.
Disclosing this to presspersons after the second round of the all-party meeting, convened to finalise the State’s stand on the sharing of Cauvery waters, here on Saturday, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said the decision was unanimous.
The meeting also decided to seek a distress formula that would be applied during years of drought.
The meeting was attended by MPs from the Cauvery basin, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council S.R. Patil, Janata Dal (Secular) Floor Leader in the Assembly H.D. Revanna, Minister for Water Resources Basavaraj Bommai, Minister for Minor Irrigation Govind Karjol and top officials.
Describing the meeting as fruitful, Mr. Shettar pointed out that the drought was unprecedented in the past 40 years and the water in Krishnaraja Sagar and other reservoirs in Cauvery basin was not sufficient for the State’s needs.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the Chief Minister was asked to apprise Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who will chair the CRA meeting, the situation in the State because of the failure of the monsoon.
Water in Krishnaraja Sagar was not sufficient to meet the State’s irrigation and drinking requirements, while Mettur dam in Tamil Nadu had 40 tmcft of water, which was sufficient for the next two months, by which time Tamil Nadu would get rain, he added.
CRA meet is scheduled for September 19
We don’t have enough water: Shettar
In one voice: Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, Deputy Chief Minister
R. Ashok, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah and Janata Dal (S) leader H.D. Revanna at the all-party meeting on the Cauvery waters issue in Bangalore on Saturday.
