The Janata Dal (Secular) on Sunday questioned the state government’s ‘offer’ to release 38 tmc feet of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
In the review petition filed before the Supreme Court on Friday, the government had suggested that during the distress year (2012-13) it can release 38 tmc feet of water from October 1 to January 31. The review petition will come up for hearing on Monday.
“By making such a suggestion, the government is sacrificing state’s long term interests in the Cauvery issue,” JD(S) spokesperson Y S V Datta told reporters here. According to Datta, Karnataka needs around 100 tmc feet of water for protecting standing crops and for supplying drinking water. “But the Cauvery reservoirs in the state have just 44 tmc feet of water. In such a situation, the government seems to be banking heavily on rains when it made an offer to release water to TN,” he said.
The government has also filed a petition before the SC pleading inability to release 75 tmc feet of water during the drought year as directed by the Cauvery Water Tribunal. “But it is now committing to release 123 tmc feet during the drought year from June 12 to June 13,” he said.
From June to September, 40 tmc feet of water has been released and the government is now offering to release another 38 tmc feet by January end and another 5 tmc feet will naturally flow as seepage during that time. “It also has to release another 40 tmc feet from January to June next year,” he said.
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