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The Karnataka legislature on Friday passed a resolution against releasing additional Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
The resolution comes days after the Supreme Court ordered Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to its neighbouring State from September 21 to 27.
The resolution adopted at the special legislative session convened on Friday expressed concern that only 27.6 tmc of water remained in the four reservoirs of Krishna Raja Sagara, Kabini, Harangi and Hemavati.
“It is now resolved that in this state of acute distress it is imperative that the government ensures that no water from the present storage be drawn, save and except for meeting drinking water requirements of the villages and towns in the Cauvery basin and for the entire city of Bengaluru,” resolution said.
Observing that there is an acute water crisis in the Cauvery basin districts, the resolution further said: “The shortfall of water in the Cauvery basin will be known only at the end of season, that is January 31, 2017.”
Friday’s session on Cauvery water sharing was the sixth such since 1991. The resolution on the issue was moved by Leader of Opposition Jagadish Shettar. An identical resolution was also passed in the Legislative Council.
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) leader and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha (SKP) legislator KS Puttannaiah, who hails from Cauvery basin districts, was given the honour to initiate the debate so as to send out a message to the farming community.
‘Impossible proposition’Replying to the debate after Opposition parties moved the resolution, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said: “We (government) have no intention to defy the orders of the Supreme Court, but the severe distress the Karnataka is facing makes it ‘impossible’ to release water for any purpose other than drinking.”
Karnataka BJP President BS Yeddyurappa, who is participating at the BJP National Council meet at Kozhikode, said: “We are 101 per cent with the Congress on Cauvery issue. We do not have water and so we can’t give water.”
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