Bengaluru
We needed 106 TMC of water in the Cauvery basin and now we have 56 TMC of water. Due to two days of rain, on October 1, 13,000, October 2, 23,000, Ocober 3, 20,000, October 4, 15,000, October 5, 10,000 cusecs of water was collected, Shivakumar said.
Addressing a press conference at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, he said, we have protected the existing crops of the farmers of our state. This is a matter of relief. Drought has been declared in the state and we have instructed the farmers not to plant any crop in future. There is a possibility of rain again next month. There is a crisis this year. We have been praying for rain every day.
Asked about Irrigation politics in the state, he said, let it be done. Don’t they also need work to be recognised in public, Will their voice be stopped, Let us do our job, he said. Asked if the Chief Minister was not defending the river water dispute as much as he did, he said, I am the Irrigation Minister. I am defending it, he said.
On the issue of release of water to Tamil Nadu and Mekedatu, he said, we have filed an appeal that we do not have water to release 3,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu. We have proposed to implement the Mekedatu project and are preparing for a legal battle in this regard. We have to go step by step. Didn’t SM Krishna himself say that the Karnataka government is treading cautiously after taking everyone’s experience and opinion.
