BENGALURU: Karnataka's Water Resources Minister N. Chaluvarayaswamy has said the state government is preparing to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the directive issued by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), which ordered the state to release 6,000 cusecs of the river's water to Tamil Nadu daily.
Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday, the minister said extensive discussions were held with the Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on the matter.
"We will not defend the CWRC order under any circumstances. We released 100 TMC of water earlier, but this time we have given only 30 TMC. Even if the Tamil Nadu government continues to exert constant pressure," the water minister said.
After consulting a team of legal experts, the government is ready to file a petition before the apex court as early as Thursday.
The water resources minister added that instructions have also been given to file a review petition before the CWRC.
The minister said priority now should be given to drinking water needs. Also, depleted lakes and tanks across the state need to be replenished. He added that the situation could improve only if the state received good rainfall within a week of the Gowri-Ganesha festival.
Chaluvarayaswamy further said in order to safeguard the state's interests in the Cauvery matter, the government was seriously considering appointing a special advocate to argue the case before the Supreme Court, as suggested by former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai. He added that Bommai himself would also be consulted on the matter.