Karnataka Minister MB Patil stated that it is extremely difficult for Karnataka to provide water to Tamil Nadu for fifteen days in the midst of the dispute between the two states over Cauvery water. “The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) has ordered us to provide Tamil Nadu with 5,000 cusecs of water per day for fifteen days. We have chosen the legal route because we lack water and find it difficult to comply with the order. We need a distressed solution for this long-standing problem. It will be embarrassing for all of us unless and until there is a formula that is based on a scientific and practical approach, warned MB Patil.
This comes a day after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) passed an interim order asking Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu daily for the next 15 days till September 2.
“It is at the cost of our drinking water and our farmers to give water for fifteen days,” MB Patil added.
The Supreme Court on Friday refrained from passing any order on the Tamil Nadu government’s plea on the release of Cauvery water, saying it doesn’t possess any expertise on this issue and sought a report from the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on the quantum of release made by Karnataka.
The Tamil Nadu government has petitioned the supreme court to order Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs of water per day from its reservoirs. The Karnataka government filed an affidavit on Thursday opposing Tamil Nadu’s application, claiming that the application is predicated on the idea that this year is a typical year for rainfall.