BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara on Wednesday said the Karnataka government will discuss the Cauvery water-sharing issue at an all-party meeting proposed by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, even as the state faces an acute shortage of drinking water and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority (CWRA) has directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu.
Addressing reporters, Parameshwara said Karnataka has, on several occasions in the past, released more water than the prescribed quantity to Tamil Nadu whenever adequate water was available.
"Every time this issue surfaces, we have cooperated whenever there has been sufficient water. Last year and the year before that, Karnataka released more than the prescribed amount to Tamil Nadu. But when we are facing an acute drinking water shortage, it is necessary to examine how tenable it is to direct Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water," he said.
He stated that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has proposed convening an all-party meeting to deliberate on the issue. Parameshwara also said there is a possibility of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay visiting Bengaluru on August 4, during which the matter could be discussed.
The Deputy Chief Minister said a meeting with legal experts was held in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss the future course of action regarding the release of Cauvery water. Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy was also present at the meeting.
"The consultations with legal experts will continue and a decision will be taken based on their advice," he said.
Acknowledging the protests planned by farmer organizations in Mandya and surrounding regions, Parameshwara said their concerns were understandable given the prevailing water crisis.
"Farmer groups are expressing their anguish because they are aware of the water shortage situation in the state," he added.
On the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, Parameshwara reiterated that Tamil Nadu cannot object to the project beyond issues concerning its allocated share of water.
"The court has made it clear that Tamil Nadu's concern should be limited to the share of water allotted to it. They cannot object to the Mekedatu project itself," he said.
Responding to reports that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposing the project, Parameshwara said anyone was free to write to the Prime Minister, but maintained that judicial rulings would prevail.
"The Prime Minister is not above the courts. The court's verdict is final, and it is in favour of Karnataka. We will proceed accordingly," he said.
Commenting on the proposed meeting between the Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu despite their differing positions on the Cauvery issue, Parameshwara said such engagements were part of the country's federal structure.
"There are many issues between neighbouring states. Under the federal system, these developments are normal," he said.
Drawing parallels with inter-state cooperation on other matters, he cited recent discussions involving the Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana on river-linking initiatives.
"In Bhadra, we recently replaced reservoir gates. Chief Ministers D.K. Shivakumar, N. Chandrababu Naidu, and A. Revanth Reddy discussed river-linking issues and resolved to address them through dialogue. Likewise, if neighbouring states are willing to resolve issues amicably, there should be no objection," he said, while criticising the BJP for opposing such engagements.
Parameshwara also rejected allegations that the state government had failed to effectively present Karnataka's case before the authorities on drought-related concerns.
He said the state had already informed the Centre about the severe drought conditions and sought relaxation in the criteria used for declaring drought-hit areas.
"Normally, rainfall is assessed until the end of August and reports are submitted thereafter. The Centre's team visits the state in September. However, we have already indicated through our submissions that Karnataka is witnessing a severe drought situation," he said.
According to Parameshwara, the Centre currently follows ten criteria to declare drought in states, and Karnataka has requested relaxation in some of them to enable immediate relief measures, particularly in North Karnataka.
"If taluks that have recorded an 80 per cent rainfall deficit cannot be declared drought-prone, then the existing criteria are not serving their purpose. That is why we have sought relaxation," he added.
