Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 2: In the wake of the understanding reached at an all-party meeting, the Karnataka chief minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday urged the pro-Kannada organisations to withdraw the proposed state “bandh” call against the release of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu.
His appeal to the protesters came after the all -party meeting convened by him earlier in the day to discuss the distress in the release of Cauvery river water after the directions from the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) that has directed the State to release 3,500 cusecs daily for 15 days. A state-wide bandh has been called on August 13 by pro-Kannada organisations against the CWMA’s order in the interest of the farmers in Karnataka.
Mr Shivakumar asserted that the state government was committed to protecting the interests of the state. He said the bandh would not benefit anyone, highlighting that the rainfall situation in the coastal state has improved.
Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru following the all-party meeting, Mr Shivakumar said, “All parties have unanimously supported the government’s decision. When the BJP leaders visited the KRS Dam, they also understood the situation. “Suggestion has been given to me to talk to protesters. I will speak to farmers, Kannada organisations and opposition leaders. Our Ministers will also speak. This decision has been unanimously agreed upon at the all-party meeting.
Stating that Karnataka was assessing Cauvery situation, including the petition of DMK in Supreme Court carefully, Mr Shivakumar said, “When Government is standing with you and nature is also with you, bandh is of no use. It will affect our schools and business. Ultimately, it will not help us. We are committed to farmers’ welfare and bound to protect state interest,” the Chief Minister said. “They [opposition leaders] have pledged their support to the Government and have provided valuable suggestions. We will take the suggestions that will be discussed with the legal team before moving forward.”
The chief minister said Karnataka has received roughly 30 to 35 per cent of expected rainfall and it is facing a drought-like situation, urging farmers to be patient till fresh guidelines are issued. He said the Kabini Reservoir and the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Reservoir are receiving inflow of 24,000 cusecs and 22,000 cusecs, respectively. He said the government released water from the KRS Reservoir on Saturday “to ensure its safety.”
Shivakumar said he has also requested his Tamil Nadu counterpart C Joseph Vijay to postpone his proposed programme of visiting Bengaluru, which he has agreed to. He said his government believed that everyone must work together with complete cooperation to resolve this issue.
“The central government and the regulatory authorities have watched everything, including Tamil Nadu. We can’t hide anything. They advised us to make use of the Mekedatu Supreme Court order, which is the law of the land. It is our bound duty to see that we release 177 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu,” Shivakumar said.
“We want to respect the law and the judgments of this country… Let us work together. I would like to assure you that this government is committed to the welfare of the farmers and the people of this state. We will not let them down. It is our bound duty,” Shivakumar added.
Anticipating regular meetings of the CWMA till January, 2027, he said the State has to be prepared with legal team to protect the state’s interest. “There could be meeting of CWMA every fortnight.”
The Chief Minister said the current inflow into four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin was close to 68,000 cusecs on Sunday and indicated that the inflow could reduce as rainfall in Kodagu and other catchment area has also receded. “We need to store about 40 tmc ft of water, including 4 tmc feet for evaporation, to meet the drinking water needs.”
Mr Shivakumar said: “Tamil Nadu had asked 9 tmc ft, and CWMA has directed release of 3,500 tmc ft daily. We are respecting the law of the country. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are one. I don’t speak language of others.”
On the petition filed by DMK in Supreme Court, he said: “We are closely watching the situation. Individual petitions of political parties and organisations are treated differently. We have to utilize our experience.” Explaining the release of water from Kabini reservoir, he said: “Water is being released considering the safety of the reservoir, and about 24,000 cusecs of flowing into the reservoir.”
Earlier, addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said: “The interests of State’s farmers and people are above politics. Karnataka’s priority is to resolve the river water sharing issue through dialogue and an amicable settlement. Adequate water has been stored to ensure that there is no shortage of drinking water. The natural flow of water is being released since the Kabini reservoir has reached full capacity. Water has already been released into canals, benefitting farmers across the region.”
Stating that the Cauvery river dispute is not new to anyone, he said: “We have all grown up witnessing the Cauvery dispute. Karnataka has a tradition of all political parties setting aside differences and standing united to protect State’s interests. Our stand has always been that drinking water must receive the highest priority.”
Sharing the State’s effort on Cauvery, Mr Shivakumar informed the leaders that he had met Union Ministers C.R. Patil, Pralhad Joshi and V. Somanna along with former Chief Ministers Basavaraj Bommai and Jagadish Shettar ahead of the CWRC and CWMA meetings. “State’s concerns were raised before the Centre. During the meeting of Members of Parliament, leaders across party lines had set aside political differences and pledged to stand united.”
The former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suggested that the State should seek a distress formula that will provide a scientific and permanent relief. “This is an emotional issue and steps have to be taken carefully. Approaching Supreme Court against the CWMA order will not help. Petitions have been dismissed in the past. We have to provide water as per the authority’s decision.”
Meanwhile, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in a petition filed in the Supreme Court has urged it to direct the State of Karnataka to release the allotted amount of Cauvery water required to protect the water-starved agricultural lands in the lower riparian districts of Tamil Nadu.
The DMK application, filed by advocates Richardson Wilson and Lokesh Krishna and settled by senior advocate P. Wilson, urged the court to direct Karnataka to forthwith and fully implement the July 28 direction of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC), which was confirmed by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on July 30, by ensuring a flow of 3,500 cusecs per day at the inter-State contact point at Biligundlu.
The application also sought an order from the court to Karnataka to make good the accumulated backlog of about 9.46 TMC due at Biligundlu as on July 26, 2026, computed on the pro-rata/distress-sharing basis. The party said this could be ensured by releasing about 7,000 cusecs of the river water on a per day basis at Biligundlu for over a period of 15 days.