BENGALURU: Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on Thursday upheld the direction of Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) asking Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs to Tamil Nadu for 15-days starting from Wednesday (July 29) after Karnataka went in an appeal to CWMA against the CWRC’s direction to release water from Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini reservoirs.
As on Thursday at 8 am, official sources stated the maximum level at KRS was 124.80 feet and water level stood at 92. 14 feet. The maximum capacity is 49. 452 tmc while currently there was 17. 253 tmc. The readings at Kabini reservoir on Thursday at 8 am recorded 15. 39 tmc as against its full capacity of 19.52 tmc.
The appeal made by Karnataka to CWMA was on the grounds that the State is reeling under severe shortage of rainfall in Cauvery basin, low storage recorded in reservoirs of Cauvery basin among other factors. Earlier the Chief Minister stated water release to Tamil Nadu would be initiated based on the decision of the CWMA.
Reacting to the CWMA upholding the CWRC’s direction to release water to Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar told reporters in New Delhi that an all-party meeting has been convened on August 2 at his home office “Krishna” in Bengaluru to discuss water release to Tamil Nadu. Former Chief Ministers of the State, MPs and MLAs from the Cauvery basin have been invited for the all-party meeting.
Meanwhile, farmers in Mandya and pro-Kannada activists mounted pressure on the Chief Minister not to release water to Tamil Nadu considering low storage of water in the reservoirs. Farmers staged a semi-nude by removing their shirts in protest at Sanjay Circle of Mandya against the CWMA decision while a few activists tore the posters of Tamil Nadu Joseph Vijay in front of Gurushree Theatre where Vijay starrer ‘Jana Nayagan’ was to be released. After protest, the release of the movie was abandoned.
Protesters tried to set discarded tyres on fire and policemen snatched the tyres before they were set on fire. Prominent pro-Kannada organisations led by Vatal Nagraj, Praveen Shetty among others will hold a meeting in Bengaluru on Friday to call for a Karnataka bandh in coming days. The meeting on Friday will decide on the date for Karnataka bandh.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
