BELAGAVI: Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who held a meeting with the state’s legal teams on inter-state water disputes on Sunday, said the state would take all steps to strengthen them.In an attempt to get the cases pertaining to sharing of Krishna, Cauvery and Mahadayi river water with other states pending before the Supreme Court and various water dispute tribunals expedited, the minister discussed a number of legal issues at the meeting.
Mohan Katarki, Karnataka’s counsel in the Mahadayi cases in the Supreme Court, who was present at the meeting, told TNIE that he welcomed the measures being taken up by the minister to bolster the legal teams in the Supreme Court after a long neglect. He said, more positive measures were needed to get all the cases pertaining to the inter-state water disputes resolved effectively in the Supreme Court and
various tribunals.
Jarkiholi is said to have come up with several measures which the State’s legal teams could take up to protect the interests of Karnataka. The officials highlighted the measures which the state government should initiate to prevent Tamil Nadu from utilising surplus water from the Cauvery basin. The meeting objected to Tamil Nadu’s attempts to get water in addition to the 177.25 tmcft, which has already been allotted to it from the Cauvery basin.
“It is the rightful demand of Karnataka to utilise the entire Cauvery water on its side after giving 177.25 tmcft to Tamil Nadu. In order to protect Karnataka’s interest in this case, we will hold a meeting headed by the Chief Minister soon,’’
Jarkiholi said at the meeting.The state government has decided to strengthen its legal team in Bengaluru too to take on Tamil Nadu in the water-sharing dispute. Soon, the Water Resources Department will hold discussions with the leaders of all parties before taking a final decision on its stand on this vital issue, said Jarkiholi.