Hassan, July 31 (IANS) Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Friday advised the Karnataka government to prepare a legally robust revised proposal for the long‑pending Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, while strongly criticising the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) for directing Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu without assessing prevailing ground conditions.
He asserted that Karnataka has a legitimate right to utilise Cauvery waters as per the Tribunal’s award and urged Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to directly raise the dispute during discussions with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay.
Addressing the media in Hassan, Kumaraswamy said the Central Water Commission (CWC) had returned the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted earlier and sought a revised comprehensive proposal.
He asked Shivakumar and the Water Resources Minister to revisit the recommendations made by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, who had earlier written to then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on the matter.
“Karnataka has the legal entitlement to store 30 TMC of water under the Tribunal’s award, of which 27 TMC can be utilised by the state. The award also permits the use of 4.5 TMC for Bengaluru’s drinking water needs. The revised DPR must therefore be prepared on this legal foundation and submitted to the Central Water Commission,” he said.
The Union Minister maintained that blaming the Union Government or alleging delays in approvals due to lack of engagement with the Prime Minister would not help resolve the issue.
“This is our water and our legitimate right. The government should focus on preparing a legally sound proposal instead of indulging in political rhetoric,” he added.
Turning his attention to the CWMA, Kumaraswamy questioned its directive requiring Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day for 15 days to Tamil Nadu.
“Out of the nearly 55 TMC of water currently available in the Cauvery basin, about 10 TMC constitutes dead storage. Bengaluru alone requires 30 TMC for drinking purposes, while another 10 TMC must be reserved for ecological needs. Was the Authority unaware of these facts, or did the state government fail to present them?” he asked.
He said the Authority had assumed nearly 12 TMC of inflows would enter the basin reservoirs in the coming days.
“On what basis has such an assumption been made? If the anticipated inflows do not materialise, what will be Karnataka’s position?” he remarked.
Kumaraswamy accused the Authority of issuing a “one‑sided order” and said it should have undertaken a comprehensive assessment of the situation in both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, including drinking water requirements and reservoir levels. He urged the state government to categorically inform the Authority that compliance was not feasible under prevailing drought conditions.
“Our farmers are struggling. Crops across the Cauvery basin are drying up. We are unable to provide sufficient water even to our own farmers. Under such circumstances, how can we be asked to release water to a neighbouring state?” he questioned.
He pointed out that reservoirs across the basin were at critically low levels, with only 54 TMC of water currently available, and stressed that Bengaluru alone would require 30 TMC over the next six months. He expressed support for ongoing protests by farmers and pro‑Kannada organisations, calling their concerns genuine and justified.
“If we accept this order without protest, it will be seen as our weakness. We must file an appeal. If necessary, we must also approach the Supreme Court,” he said, adding that political differences should be set aside.
“It does not matter which party is in power or who occupies the Chief Minister’s office. At a time like this, every political party must stand united in safeguarding Karnataka’s interests.”
Welcoming the state government’s decision to convene an all‑party meeting on Sunday, Kumaraswamy confirmed his party’s participation. “Karnataka has, on several occasions in the past, resolved such sensitive issues through consensus arrived at in all‑party meetings,” he said.
He further criticised the Congress government for focusing on cabinet expansion and facing financial constraints in implementing its flagship Gruha Lakshmi scheme, instead of instilling confidence among distressed farmers.
“The government must firmly challenge the Authority’s decision with complete and accurate data. This dispute has persisted since before Independence, and it is time such politics came to an end,” Kumaraswamy said.
–IANS
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