In Assembly Resolution, Karnataka Signals Inability To Spare Cauvery Water

Bengaluru: Signalling its inability to spare Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as per the Supreme Court direction, a special session of the Karnataka legislature today adopted an unanimous resolution to use the water only to meet drinking water needs and not to provide it for any other purpose.

"An impossible situation wherein it is not possible to comply with a court (order) has been created," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said in his reply, maintaining that the state was in "severe distress" and struggling to meet even the drinking water needs in the Cauvery basin.

The Chief Minister had convened the special sitting of the assembly to take a call on releasing more water of the river Cauvery to Tamil Nadu, which is downstream.

Two days ago the Congress government in the state decided to defer the release of 6,000 cusecs of water a day till September 27, ordered by the Supreme Court.

It has also told the court that it fears law and order problems after violent protests in the last few weeks over the Cauvery issue, a decades-long dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The Supreme Court order to release 6,000 cusecs of water daily for the next 7 days was "uncalled for," Mr Siddaramaiah told NDTV in an exclusive interview. He said deferring release of water should not amount to contempt of court in his book.

"The court was told ground reality, but despite that, this type of order was passed... We are not willfully disobeying the orders of the Supreme Court. We respect the Supreme Court, but have to give water to humans," he said.

Mr Siddaramaiah has the backing on this of all political parties in the state. A state cabinet order saying Karnataka cannot implement the Supreme Court's instructions was supported unanimously at an all-party meeting. The BJP stayed away, but its state chief BS Yeddyurappa welcomed the cabinet decision.

The BJP will attend today's assembly session. BJP leader and Former Water Resources Minister Basavraj Bommai said, 'The state government agrees with the BJP's stand, so we will back them and present facts to showcase why this order can't be implemented."

Mr Siddaramaiah has held multiple meetings to rally support for Karnataka's stand. He flew to Delhi to meet water minister Uma Bharti and in Bangalore, met former chief minister SM Krishna, who, placed in a similar situation in 2002, had defied the Supreme Court and held a padyatra.

"SM Krishna told me we have to reserve water for the state. Giving water to humans is the first priority," Mr Siddaramaiah said.

SM Krishna had later apologised to the Supreme Court. On Thursday, he commended what he called Mr Siddaramaiah's "bold step, a bold decision" and added, "Mahatma Gandhi once said if the law itself is against human nature, then to defy that law is the only recourse."