<div>The State government on Monday termed Tamil Nadu questioning the State’s right to utilise Cauvery water as “illegal” and “inhuman”, and sought the Centre’s intervention to prevent the neighbouring state from raking up the water-sharing issue “unnecessarily”. <br /><br /><div>“The Supreme Court has repeatedly rejected Tamil Nadu’s interlocutory applications seeking its intervention. But Tamil Nadu has once again filed another application just to provoke us. Such attitude needs to be stopped, the Centre should intervene,” Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda told the Legislative Assembly on Monday.<br /><br /></div><div>The entire House stood united with the government even as Gowda declared that the State government would fight the issue both legally and politically without compromising the interests of the State.<br /><br /></div><div>Tamil Nadu has filed an application in the Supreme Court, seeking urgent directions to restrain Karnataka from resorting to summer irrigation. The application said that as on March 15, the storage in the four reservoirs had depleted and only 20 to 30 tmcft of water would remain by the end of May, as against the full storage of 114.5 tmcft.<br /><br /></div><div>Gowda appealed to the people of the State not to heed rumours or get emotional. “The interests of the farmers in the Cauvery basin would be protected. It is number one priority for us,” he said. He also urged the Centre to come out with a national water policy after consulting all states.<br /><br /></div><div>Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the State has full right to utilise its share of Cauvery water after releasing 192 tmc ft to Tamil Nadu. “There is no obligation to follow any time frame or meet seasonal requirements as claimed by Tamil Nadu. They have no right to question how we utilise our share of water,” Bommai said.<br /><br /></div><div>As per the Cauvery Water Tribunal final award of 2007, Tamil Nadu’s share to be released by Karnataka at the Billigundlu gauging station was 182 tmcft in addition to 10 tmcft for environmental purposes in a year. From this 192 tmcft, Tamil Nadu would release 7 tmcft to Puducherry.<br /><br /></div><div>Bommai said the State government has adhered to the order for the last five years. The State, as on March 21, had released 226.27 tmcft to Tamil Nadu.<br /><br /></div><div>The minister said the State government has already finalised its reply to be filed before the Supreme Court.<br /><br /></div><div>Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah said Tamil Nadu had never behaved in a legal and justified manner when it came to Cauvery issue. He attacked Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha for raking up the water-sharing issue. “For no reason, she rakes up the issue only to provoke Karnataka and cause injustice to the State. I do not understand why. I feel she is suffering from some disease,” he said.<br /><br /></div><div>Opposition leaders also pointed out that injustice had been done to the State with regard to Cauvery water since 1920.<br /><br /></div><div>“We have to spend crores of rupees in building reservoirs and then release the stored water to Tamil Nadu. This is not fair,” Siddaramaiah said.<br /><br /></div><div>JD(S) floor leader H D Revanna sought Centre’s intervention and urged the government to take an all-party delegation to New Delhi to petition the Prime Minister.</div><div><br /><div>State turns to Maharashtra<br /><br /></div><div>The State government has urged the Maharashtra government to release about five tmc ft of Koyna river water to meet the drinking water needs of Karnataka on humanitarian grounds, Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday.<br /><br /></div><div>Replying to a demand by some MLAs of north Karnataka that the State should seek Koyna water from Maharashtra, the minister said he has already spoken to his Maharashtra counterpart in this regard. “The Maharastra government has responded positively to our request and promised to inform us about its decision soon,” he added.<br /><br /></div><div>Bommai said Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda too will speak to his counterpart seeking more water from Koyna.<br /><br /></div><div>Bijapur and Bagalkot are two big towns in the Krishna basin. The government has been taking all steps to ensure adequate drinking water supply to these towns, the minister added.</div></div></div>
<div>The State government on Monday termed Tamil Nadu questioning the State’s right to utilise Cauvery water as “illegal” and “inhuman”, and sought the Centre’s intervention to prevent the neighbouring state from raking up the water-sharing issue “unnecessarily”. <br /><br /><div>“The Supreme Court has repeatedly rejected Tamil Nadu’s interlocutory applications seeking its intervention. But Tamil Nadu has once again filed another application just to provoke us. Such attitude needs to be stopped, the Centre should intervene,” Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda told the Legislative Assembly on Monday.<br /><br /></div><div>The entire House stood united with the government even as Gowda declared that the State government would fight the issue both legally and politically without compromising the interests of the State.<br /><br /></div><div>Tamil Nadu has filed an application in the Supreme Court, seeking urgent directions to restrain Karnataka from resorting to summer irrigation. The application said that as on March 15, the storage in the four reservoirs had depleted and only 20 to 30 tmcft of water would remain by the end of May, as against the full storage of 114.5 tmcft.<br /><br /></div><div>Gowda appealed to the people of the State not to heed rumours or get emotional. “The interests of the farmers in the Cauvery basin would be protected. It is number one priority for us,” he said. He also urged the Centre to come out with a national water policy after consulting all states.<br /><br /></div><div>Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the State has full right to utilise its share of Cauvery water after releasing 192 tmc ft to Tamil Nadu. “There is no obligation to follow any time frame or meet seasonal requirements as claimed by Tamil Nadu. They have no right to question how we utilise our share of water,” Bommai said.<br /><br /></div><div>As per the Cauvery Water Tribunal final award of 2007, Tamil Nadu’s share to be released by Karnataka at the Billigundlu gauging station was 182 tmcft in addition to 10 tmcft for environmental purposes in a year. From this 192 tmcft, Tamil Nadu would release 7 tmcft to Puducherry.<br /><br /></div><div>Bommai said the State government has adhered to the order for the last five years. The State, as on March 21, had released 226.27 tmcft to Tamil Nadu.<br /><br /></div><div>The minister said the State government has already finalised its reply to be filed before the Supreme Court.<br /><br /></div><div>Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah said Tamil Nadu had never behaved in a legal and justified manner when it came to Cauvery issue. He attacked Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha for raking up the water-sharing issue. “For no reason, she rakes up the issue only to provoke Karnataka and cause injustice to the State. I do not understand why. I feel she is suffering from some disease,” he said.<br /><br /></div><div>Opposition leaders also pointed out that injustice had been done to the State with regard to Cauvery water since 1920.<br /><br /></div><div>“We have to spend crores of rupees in building reservoirs and then release the stored water to Tamil Nadu. This is not fair,” Siddaramaiah said.<br /><br /></div><div>JD(S) floor leader H D Revanna sought Centre’s intervention and urged the government to take an all-party delegation to New Delhi to petition the Prime Minister.</div><div><br /><div>State turns to Maharashtra<br /><br /></div><div>The State government has urged the Maharashtra government to release about five tmc ft of Koyna river water to meet the drinking water needs of Karnataka on humanitarian grounds, Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday.<br /><br /></div><div>Replying to a demand by some MLAs of north Karnataka that the State should seek Koyna water from Maharashtra, the minister said he has already spoken to his Maharashtra counterpart in this regard. “The Maharastra government has responded positively to our request and promised to inform us about its decision soon,” he added.<br /><br /></div><div>Bommai said Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda too will speak to his counterpart seeking more water from Koyna.<br /><br /></div><div>Bijapur and Bagalkot are two big towns in the Krishna basin. The government has been taking all steps to ensure adequate drinking water supply to these towns, the minister added.</div></div></div>