Karnataka's Cauvery Water Release Deemed Insufficient by Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has condemned Karnataka's decision to release a reduced amount of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. He announced a legislative party leaders' meeting on July 16 to decide further actions. Stalin pointed out that Karnataka's refusal to adhere to water release directives betrays Tamil Nadu farmers.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has strongly condemned the Karnataka government's decision to release a reduced amount of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. In a statement made on Monday, Stalin announced a meeting of legislative party leaders on July 16 to decide on the next steps in addressing the inter-state river dispute.

As of July 15, 2024, the water levels in Karnataka's main dams stood at 75.586 TMC ft, while Tamil Nadu's Mettur reservoir held only 13.808 TMC ft of water. Stalin highlighted the Indian Meteorological Department's forecast of adequate rainfall, criticizing Karnataka's refusal to comply with the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's directive as a betrayal of Tamil Nadu's farmers. He firmly stated that Tamil Nadu would not accept such actions.

The Karnataka government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had offered to release 8,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu till the end of the month, rather than the one TMC ft as directed. To formulate an effective response, Stalin has scheduled a meeting with floor leaders of the parties in the state Assembly on July 16. The session will be conducted at the state secretariat under the leadership of Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan, and legal experts' opinions will be sought to decide on future actions.

(With inputs from agencies.)