It is not possible for Karnataka torelease Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu "for now" as the state isfacing drought and acute drinking water scarcity, ChiefMinister Jagadish Shettar said Sunday.
"For now, it is not possible for the government to releaseCauvery water to Tamil Nadu as the state is reeling underdrought and acute drinking water problem," he told reportersat his residence here.
Shettar said an all-party delegation from the state wouldvisit New Delhi tomorrow and meet Prime Minister ManmohanSingh and urge him not to notify the proposed final award ofthe Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
The delegation, comprising MPs, Union ministers andOpposition party leaders, would try to convince Singh not tonotify the final award as the state was facing drought anddrinking water problems, Shettar said.
"In spite of these problems, our government has releasedwater to Tamil Nadu honouring the Supreme Court order. But fornow, it is not possible for us to release water under thepresent condition," he said.
Shettar also rejected the demand for replacing FaliNariman as head of Karnataka's legal team on Cauvery as he hadrepresented the case for the past forty years.
Karnataka commenced release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadufrom February 9 complying with the Supreme Court orderdirecting it to release 2.44 tmc to save standing crops. Therelease triggered protests by farmers outfits.
Karnataka has moved the Supreme Court seeking review ofits order citing depleted storage in its reservoirs.
Referring to Urban Local bodies polls, Shettar clarifiedthat the the elections were delayed not due to fear of facingthe electoral test, but government wanted to conduct it basedon 2011 reservation pattern.