Bengaluru: Amid protests in several parts by farmers, Karnataka has started releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu to abide by the Supreme court directive.
"Karnataka has started releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu to obey the Supreme Court directive asking the state government to release 15,000 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu for ten days," a state water resources ministry official told PTI.
He said the state started releasing water from midnight yesterday.
The Karnataka government on Tuesday decided to release 15,000 cases of water per day to Tamil Nadu for 10 days.
After a three-hour meeting with Union ministers from Karnataka, MPs and floor leaders of political parties in the legislature, chief minister Siddaramaiah told reporters: "As we cannot defy a constitutional body like the Supreme court, with a heavy heart we have decided to release the water as directed by the apex court."
Meanwhile, the protesters have intensified their agitation in Mandya and other parts of the state blocking several roads and forcing schools and colleges to shut down.
Simultaneously, the state government also intends to approach the Cauvery Supervisory Committee and try to convince them of their shortage in water levels and also file a petition in the court seeking modification of the directive of releasing 15,000 cusecs every day for 10 days.
"In 2012-13, when Jagadish Shettar was the CM, the state had released water up to 10,000 cusecs as a good will gesture. This time also, we had sought to release 10,000 cusecs of water but the court did not approve. We will try to impress upon the court to modify its order and reduce the water to be released to TN, considering the distress and severity of water shortage in the state," the CM said on Tuesday.
The decision to file the modification appeal was taken after advice from former CM and Chikkaballapur MP Veerappa Moily. However, insiders in the government said Karnataka is not pinning its hope on the modification petition.
According to one minister, the plan is to wait for the final hearing on the original petition filed by Karnataka, disputing the Cauvery Tribunal Authority verdict on the quantum of water to be released to TN. The final hearing is coming up on October 18.
Further, the government is also pinning its hope on "good rains" to befall the state by the end of September.
"Karnataka has started releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu to obey the Supreme Court directive asking the state government to release 15,000 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu for ten days," a state water resources ministry official told PTI.
He said the state started releasing water from midnight yesterday.
The Karnataka government on Tuesday decided to release 15,000 cases of water per day to Tamil Nadu for 10 days.
After a three-hour meeting with Union ministers from Karnataka, MPs and floor leaders of political parties in the legislature, chief minister Siddaramaiah told reporters: "As we cannot defy a constitutional body like the Supreme court, with a heavy heart we have decided to release the water as directed by the apex court."
Meanwhile, the protesters have intensified their agitation in Mandya and other parts of the state blocking several roads and forcing schools and colleges to shut down.
Simultaneously, the state government also intends to approach the Cauvery Supervisory Committee and try to convince them of their shortage in water levels and also file a petition in the court seeking modification of the directive of releasing 15,000 cusecs every day for 10 days.
"In 2012-13, when Jagadish Shettar was the CM, the state had released water up to 10,000 cusecs as a good will gesture. This time also, we had sought to release 10,000 cusecs of water but the court did not approve. We will try to impress upon the court to modify its order and reduce the water to be released to TN, considering the distress and severity of water shortage in the state," the CM said on Tuesday.
The decision to file the modification appeal was taken after advice from former CM and Chikkaballapur MP Veerappa Moily. However, insiders in the government said Karnataka is not pinning its hope on the modification petition.
According to one minister, the plan is to wait for the final hearing on the original petition filed by Karnataka, disputing the Cauvery Tribunal Authority verdict on the quantum of water to be released to TN. The final hearing is coming up on October 18.
Further, the government is also pinning its hope on "good rains" to befall the state by the end of September.