Bengaluru, Oct 2 (IANS): Former Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday claimed that Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has been misleading the people about the inflow of water in the Cauvery river.

"Shivakumar had said that there had been a heavy inflow of water. However, when we got information from the authorities, they said that the inflow was around 2,000 cusecs of water.

"Why is Shivakumar misleading people? Why was he speaking so lightly on this serious issue? It was not enough for the Deputy CM to always talk about Brand Bangalore, but Cauvery water should be saved for Bangalore. Otherwise, it will be a 'bad Bangalore'," he said.

Earlier, speaking at an agitation organized by the Raitha Hitarakshana Samithi in Mandya on Monday, Bommai said that to find a permanent solution to the Cauvery water row, the Siddaramaiah-led state government must take the opinion of legal experts, activists, and opposition parties, and prepare a "distress formula" that is acceptable to all.

"The same formula must be presented before the Cauvery Water Management Authority and the Supreme Court," he said.

"Why does the Cauvery dispute arise again and again? Our struggle will be based on where the solution is. The Cauvery River originates and flows for the most part in our state. Although there is a small catchment area, the flow of water will be heavy. Tamil Nadu has two monsoons and is not short in water. They release excess water into the sea.

"Karnataka has built four dams to impound water, Tamil Nadu did not make much effort to save the Cauvery water and only two dams have been built," he added.