CM Siddaramaiah under pressure to bail Karnataka out of Cauvery crisis

Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday found himself under pressure to bail Karnataka out of the crisis arising out of Supreme Court's refusal to interfere with the CWRC orders to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu. BJP and JDS targeted the CM, accusing him of compromising on the state's interests on the Cauvery water issue to strengthen Congress party's bonding with the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu.

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are ruled by Congress and DMK respectively that are also members of the opposition bloc INDIA, and BJP and JDS linked the state's setback in the apex court to Congress party's political compulsions.

The state government is battling a crisis as SC refused to interfere with the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's September 12 order asking Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.


The development sparked protests and road blockades by farmer groups and sugarcane growers in the Old Mysuru region, including Mandya, Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts of the state. Farmer organisations are also planning to call for a bandh in Mandya district on Saturday.

BJP leader BS Yediyurappa blamed the Congress government for the crisis, saying the state ended up with an adverse outcome as the government failed to furnish correct data to the court. The government clearly demonstrated a lack of preparedness, and it should take responsibility for the loss, he added.

JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy said Karnataka suffered injustice because Congress party's political interests were intertwined with that of Tamil Nadu's DMK. The Congress party has prioritised the political future of the INDIA group over the interests of Karnataka, he added. The government, the former CM said, did not take the suggestions given by the opposition parties with the seriousness they deserved.

Former BJP CM Basavaraj Bommai also voiced similar concerns.

Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah, who met Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Delhi, said the minister's response to the state's demands were positive. "We need 106 tmc ft of water for crops, drinking water and industries. We have convinced the Union minister that there is only 51 tmc ft available at our four reservoirs. The lowest rainfall in August and September in 123 years has reduced the inflow of the reservoirs from 11,000 to 8,000 cusecs. We have convinced Shekhawat that we have no water to spare," the CM tweeted.