Karnataka on Wednesday deferred the release of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu to Thursday when the two states will discuss the contentious issue at a meeting convened by the Centre in New Delhi.
Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti will preside over the meeting -- called on the Supreme Court's advice on Tuesday -- in which state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah along with his Water Resources Minister M.B. Patil and top officials will participate.
"We have deferred the decision on the water release (6,000 cusecs daily for three days) as per the Supreme Court's Tuesday order by a day pending the outcome of the Thursday meeting (fixed for 11.30 a.m.)," Siddaramaiah told reporters here on Wednesday.
A decision to this effect was taken at a state Cabinet meeting after an all-party meeting discussed the apex court order and advised the state government not to release the water till the outcome of the meeting.
The top court directed Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs daily for three days from Wednesday to Friday despite the state legislature's resolution on September 23 to use the depleted water in the four dams across the river basin for drinking purpose only.
"There is no intention to disrespect the Supreme Court's order by deferring the release of water which, its division bench said, could be adjusted against future releases," Siddaramaiah said.
The apex court also advised Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to call the executive heads of the two states to negotiate on the quantum of water to be shared during distress period.
"Both the states have agreed to discuss the issue with the Centre's mediation, which has been our stand from the beginning, as evident from the series of letters I wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since September 9," the Karnataka Chief Minister said.
At the all-party meeting, the principal opposition parties -- Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal-Secular -- opposed the release of any more water as the state assembly had unanimously resolved to use depleted water stored in dams for drinking purpose only till the onset of the monsoon in June next.
Union Water Resources Secretary Shashi Shekhar had invited the Chief Ministers of both the neighbouring states to attend the meeting.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalaliathaa has deputed her Public Works Minister E.K. Palaniswamy for the meeting, as she is still recovering from illness at a private hospital in Chennai.
Earlier, emerging out of the all-party meeting, opposition leader and former BJP chief minister Jagadish Shettar told reporters that the party was against the release of the remaining water to Tamil Nadu for irrigation when the same was required for the drinking needs of the people in the region.
Echoing the BJP's view, Janata Dal-Secular lawmaker Y.S.V. Datta said his party's leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had also conveyed to the government not to release the water till the outcome of Thursday's meeting.
"We have placed our suggestion before the government to honour the resolution passed in the special legislature session," Shettar said.
Observing that water flow had increased after recent rains in the downstream areas of the river basin, Datta said there was no need to release water from the reservoirs, as ground water resources and gravity would ensure the quantum (6,000 cusecs) flows to Tamil Nadu at Biligundulu, the inter-state measuring point.
"The legal battle is over. We have to take a political decision on the basis of the will of the people, expressed through the resolution," Datta added.
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