Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reiterated that it was not possible for the State to release water from river Cauvery to Tamil Nadu as the State was reeling under severe drought. He expressed his inability to release water from River Cauvery to Tamil Nadu.
He said “we have expressed our inability to release water from Cauvery since there is no storage in KRS due to poor monsoon rain. Tamil Nadu should also understand the position before demanding the release for political reason.”
Siddaramaiah said in Bengaluru on Tuesday that there was a provision in the Tribunal order to share water during distress.
After Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to direct the Karnataka Government to release water, Karnataka Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee wrote a letter stating that it is not possible as the water level in KRS and other reservoirs are very low due to poor rainfall in the catchment areas.
In view of a letter written by the Tamil Nadu Government to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to intervene in getting Cauvery water released from Karnataka, the latter maintained that it was not possible as the State was reeling under severe drought.
CM Siddaramaiah had said that as per the Tribunal order when a crisis situation arises over the Cauvery, both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka should resolve the issue amicably.