SHIVAMOGGA: Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra on Wednesday said that his party will organise a protest in Mandya on July 31 against the “failure” of the state government in handling the Cauvery water issue.
Addressing reporters here, he said that he will lead the protest along with Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka. A large number of party workers and farmers will take part in the protest.
He alleged that the advocates representing the state at the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) failed to put forth facts such as lack of rainfall and poor water storage in the reservoirs in the Cauvery basin.
The state is likely to face severe drought this year and farmers of the command areas in the Cauvery basin are unable to irrigate their crops, he said. Vijayendra said Chief Minister DK Shivakumar himself has appealed to farmers not to take up sowing, stating that water in the reservoirs be used to meet drinking needs.
The KRS reservoir now has 17.39 tmcft of water of which 14.39 tmcft could be used. If the government releases water to Tamil Nadu, people of the state, especially farmers, will face hardship in the coming days, he said.
Vijayendra demanded that the government file an appeal again seeking review of the CWRC decision. The state released water to TN even before it received the directive from CWRC. If the state releases water again, it will be in addition to what it was supposed to release, he claimed.
On a PIL before the high court over Bangladeshis living illegally in the state, he said the state government has filed an FIR against the individual who had filed it. He sought to know who the government wants to keep happy with this decision.
He alleged that the state government has started issuing permanent residence certificates for such Bangladeshis. For the government’s mistake, the court has to intervene. The CM and the home minister are using the police department to send Hindu activists to jail.
On the KPSC scam, he said the government should hand over the probe to the CBI. On former CM Siddaramaiah’s statement to retire from electoral politics, he said if this happens, the Congress will lose about 60 seats in the 2028 Assembly elections.
CWRC decision unscientific, says Kumaraswamy
Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy termed the decision of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) on water sharing “unscientific” and said it would severely affect Karnataka, which is facing drought-like conditions. Speaking to media persons at Haradanahalli in Holenarasipur taluk on Wednesday, Kumaraswamy said the issue should be fought unitedly, cutting across political lines.
“All political parties should set aside their differences and come together to fight for justice in the interests of Karnataka’s farmers,” he said. Expressing concern over the plight of farmers, he questioned how Karnataka could release water to Tamil Nadu when the former itself was grappling with an alarming drought caused by scanty rainfall.
He urged the Karnataka government to place the prevailing ground realities before the appropriate authorities and evolve an effective water management strategy for drought conditions.
Kumaraswamy also criticised the government for not utilising available reservoir water to fill irrigation tanks. “If tanks had been filled when Karnataka received abundant rainfall over the last three years, standing crops could have been protected now,” he said. He observed that both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu failed to evolve long-term measures to address the Cauvery dispute and stressed the need for water conservation and scientific management instead of indulging in political blame games.
(With inputs from BR Udaya Kumar @ Hassan)
CLOUD OVER DKS-VIJAY TALKS ON AUGUST 3; VIDHANA SOUDHA GETS COAT OF PAINT
Vidhana Soudha is undergoing a quick paint-and-polish facelift for a meeting between Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar and his Tamil Nadu counterpart C Vijay Joseph on the Cauvery water issue on August 3, though it remains uncertain due to escalating tensions.
The meeting is scheduled at noon in the conference hall on the third floor, though both CMs could finally opt for a virtual meeting as farmers of Karnataka have threatened to hold protests. CM’s Additional Chief Secretary Tushar Giri Nath has taken the initiative to renovate the conference hall with a fresh coat of paint and polish for furniture. Painting is also under way from the ground floor to the third floor of the north side of Vidhana Soudha, from where both the CMs are likely to enter. It will cost about Rs 2 crore, according to a source.
Two wooden chairs are being specially crafted for the CMs, and arrangements are being made for about 28 people to sit for talks, sources said.