BENGALURU: Raising its objections against some of the guidelines of the Gazette notification issued by Union government constituting the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), Karnataka government has decided to convene a meeting with all party leaders and also state MPs soon, to decide the future course of action to protect the state’s interests. Meanwhile, the state government has nominated its representatives for CWMA and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC).
“The meeting of legislature floor leaders of all parties and Parliament members from the state will be convened within the next three to four days to discuss the implications of the gazette notification on CWMA, as some of its guidelines are detrimental to the state’s interests. We will also consult our legal experts in Delhi and formulate the next course of action,” Water Resources minister D K Shivakumar said, while speaking to reporters after a meeting of officials of Water Resources and Law departments chaired by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.
Karnataka has raised its objection against empowering CWMA to control the reservoirs and even their decision of cropping pattern in the Cauvery basin.CWMA is mandated to oversee the water sharing in accordance with the Supreme Court verdict on Cauvery dispute. It has members from the Union government and also 4 riparian states — Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.
Karnataka, who had not named its representative as a mark of protest, has now nominated Water Resources Secretary Rakesh Singh as its member in CWMA. The government has named H N Prasanna, MD of Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited as its member in CWRC, Shivakumar announced.
“The issue would also be raised in Parliament for a wider discussion to highlight Karnataka’s concerns,”
Shivakumar said.