Shivakumar Vows to Protect Karnataka's Interests on Cauvery
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said his government remained committed to protecting the interests of the state's farmers and people in the Cauvery water dispute, while appealing to organisations to withdraw a proposed state-wide bandh planned for August 13.
Addressing reporters after chairing an all-party meeting on the Cauvery issue, Shivakumar said improved rainfall and unanimous support from political parties meant there was no need for the bandh, called by pro-Kannada organisations to protest a Thursday order from the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) upholding a Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directive to release 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.
"Our government remains fully committed to protecting the interests of Karnataka's farmers on the Cauvery issue," Shivakumar said, adding that as someone from the Cauvery basin and the son of a farmer, he wanted the state's 7.5 crore people to have no doubt about the government's resolve.
Shivakumar said the government would continue making decisions within the legal framework, prioritise drinking water needs, consult legal and agricultural experts, and closely monitor the water situation before taking further steps. On Tamil Nadu's main opposition party DMK approaching the Supreme Court, he said Karnataka would respond through the legal process, "proceeding very carefully" and drawing on the experience of senior legal experts.
He also reiterated support for the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project on the Cauvery, noting the Supreme Court has already ruled on the matter, and cited former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai's description of the project as a "permanent solution" that should move forward without delay. Tamil Nadu opposes the project, citing potential harm to its interests.
Shivakumar said Karnataka had received only about 30 to 35 per cent of normal rainfall so far and remained under the shadow of drought, advising farmers to stay patient pending scientific guidance. He said the CWRC and CWMA had directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water for 15 days, against Tamil Nadu's demand for 9 TMC.
Sharing reservoir data, Shivakumar said inflows stood at 24,000 cusecs at Kabini, 22,000 cusecs at KRS, 11,884 cusecs at Hemavathi and 10,430 cusecs at Harangi, for a combined inflow of around 67,178 cusecs. He said Karnataka needed to reserve 40 TMC of water for drinking purposes — 36 TMC as essential and four TMC as contingency — and that water released so far had gone toward filling drinking-water lakes rather than irrigation, with limited releases from Kabini necessary to ensure dam safety amid rising inflows.
Shivakumar said the all-party meeting, attended by former chief ministers, union ministers, MPs, opposition leaders and legal experts, unanimously backed the government's approach and agreed a bandh would serve no purpose. "When the government itself is standing firmly with the people and nature too is helping us, there is no need to resort to such protests," he said, adding that he would personally appeal to pro-Kannada organisations while ministers held talks with farmers and other groups.
He said agricultural experts and universities would issue district-specific cropping advisories in light of the drought warning, noting the Cabinet had recently approved more than Rs 30 crore for using artificial intelligence and other technologies to guide farmers. He said it was too early to declare a drought, as ministers were still touring districts to gather field reports, which Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, who holds the Revenue portfolio, would assess per NDMA and NDRF guidelines before placing the matter before the Cabinet.
Shivakumar said rainfall had improved only in parts of Kodagu and neighbouring Wayanad in Kerala, while Mysuru, Mandya and Bengaluru continued to face rainfall deficits. "So far, Karnataka has received only about 37 per cent of its normal rainfall. There is still time. Let us wait and watch," he said.
On Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's now-postponed visit to Bengaluru, Shivakumar confirmed Vijay had agreed to defer the trip at Karnataka's request, given prevailing tensions over the water dispute. The two leaders had been scheduled to meet Monday. "I have great respect for him. Though he may be new to politics, he is a courageous leader. I congratulated him on his bold decision. Whatever our political differences may be, he wanted to come to Karnataka. I only requested that we meet in a better and more cordial atmosphere because I don't want anyone shouting against my friends. We should respect each other. We have to live together and work together. Ultimately, India is one," Shivakumar said.
(With inputs from PTI)
