Mysuru, Aug 1 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Saturday appealed to organisations protesting against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu to withdraw their agitation, stating that it is impossible to hold back water once a reservoir reaches full capacity.
Speaking to reporters at Mysuru Airport, Shivakumar said the Kabini reservoir is rapidly filling up, and the government has no option but to release water once it reaches its storage limit.
“The Kabini reservoir is filling up. Once a dam is full, water has to be released. It is not possible to hold it back. I humbly appeal to those planning protests against the release of water to reconsider their decision,” he said.
Responding to questions on the protests, the Chief Minister said officials were providing hourly updates on the water level at Kabini, with inflows touching 40,000 cusecs. “Nature does not belong to anyone. Even if we decide not to release water, it cannot be retained once the reservoir is full,” he added.
Shivakumar urged protesters not to gather near release points, warning that strong currents could pose a serious threat to life. He said calls for a Karnataka bandh lacked valid grounds, stressing that democratic protests deserve respect but the current situation did not warrant such demonstrations.
He noted that previous governments led by S. Bangarappa, S.M. Krishna, H.D. Deve Gowda and Siddaramaiah had also taken decisions based on prevailing circumstances. “There is an order to release 177 TMC of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, and the Supreme Court has upheld it. We must respect the court’s order while protecting the interests of our farmers,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the judicial verdict was intended to balance the interests of both states. He referred to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s efforts in New Delhi, adding that the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) had complete information on reservoir storage levels.
“Compared to previous situations, we have not even released half the quantity of water. Despite this, our request was rejected,” he said, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of playing politics over the issue. He also mentioned H.D. Kumaraswamy’s statement and said leaders from Tamil Nadu were pursuing political interests.
Shivakumar said Karnataka had achieved a significant legal victory in the Supreme Court on the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir project. He further noted that Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil had convened a meeting of the Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana regarding the Tungabhadra river, where a decision was taken to construct a balancing reservoir.
“This is a historic decision taken after I became Chief Minister and marks a significant step forward,” he added.
–IANS
mka/dan