Sorry, no Cauvery water, K’taka tells Tamil Nadu
A special session of both Houses of the legislature in Karnataka on Friday passed a resolution stating that Cauvery water is available only to meet the drinking water needs of the people in the Cauvery basin, Mysuru and Bengaluru. The resolution expressed inability of the State to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as directed by the Supreme Court. The resolution is carefully and cleverly worded. It says, though in not so many words, that drinking water is a priority and that will gain precedence over agriculture. Water for agriculture can wait - both in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
In effect, the Supreme Court cannot now order Karnataka to keep drinking water needs in abeyance and supply water to Tamil Nadu for its fourth crop. That would be a travesty of justice.
The resolution also refers to the extreme low levels in the four dams across the Cauvery. In a passionate address, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said at present Karnataka has 27.6 TMC of water. Till next May, the drinking water needs of the towns and villages in the Cauvery basin, Mysuru and Bengaluru would come to 24.11 TMC. Factors like loss of water due to seepage and evaporation should be considered. This means there is water barely to meet the drinking water needs and this too is doubtful. He said Karnataka farmers have made a great sacrifice by giving up their crops. We hope Tamil Nadu too would do say, he said. At the same time Karnataka has great respect for law and the Supreme Court, he added.
The drinking water angle is a valid reason which the Supreme Court cannot ignore. Neither the State nor the Court can ensure good rainfall in the catchment area till January. The resolution has also avoided a direct confrontation with the Supreme Court by carefully wording it. There is no hint of defiance anywhere.
H D Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) quoted a Supreme Court judgment which said that the inability to do something impossible will not attract contempt provisions. The resolution was first passed by the Council unanimously and later by the Assembly.
In short, Tamil Nadu will not get water for its crop as directed by the Apex Court. The resolution was the result of a series of discussions that the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had with the Opposition, the Cabinet and senior Congress party leaders. Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda played a key role in scripting the resolution. Sources said the resolution will be submitted to the Supreme Court when it resumes hearing the dispute on September 27.
The Supreme Court had ordered Karnataka to release 6000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
The legislature on Friday passed an unanimous resolution to not release Cauvery water for any other purpose than for the basic requirements of Bengaluru city and the areas which come under the Cauvery basin.