Deve Gowda Meets Shettar, Urges Cong to Press PM on Cauvery Award

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jan 8: Sinking political differences and disregarding all political considerations, JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Tuesday held a closed door meeting with Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and other key ministers in the State BJP Government on the negative fallout on the State if the Centre were to notify the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in accordance with the Supreme Court’s decision of granting four weeks time for taking a decision and simultaneously urged the Congress party, especially the Union Ministers from the State, to prevail upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against notifying the final award.

The Supreme Court had pulled up the Centre on January 4 for not notifying the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) dated February 5, 2007, even though it informed the court on December 5, 2012 that it would notify the decision by the end of December.

The apex court’s bench had granted time till January 31 to the Centre to take a decision whether to notify or not the final decision of the Cauvery Tribunal without prejudice to the rights and contentions of the States concerned.

The Supreme Court’s Bench directed that the matter be listed for further hearing on February 4.

The former prime minister, who called on Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and held closed door discussions with the BJP Government including Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar on the entire issue, later addressed a media conference and openly appealed to Union Ministers from the State like M Veerappa Moily, Mallikarjuna Kharge, K Rehman Khan and K H Muniyappa to ''do their best" to protect the interests of the State.

 
Cong, UPA Should Do Justice to State

''I am making a sincere personal appeal with folded hands to the Cabinet Ministers from the State to exert their full pressure and make honest efforts to convince the Prime Minister on the harm that will be done to Karnataka if the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s final award was notified at this stage before disposing of the special leave petitions filed by the State," he said urged all the MPs from the State to remain united in fighting for the rights of Karnataka and its people, especially the farmers in the Cauvery basin.

''This the time for the Congress-led UPA regime to ensure that justice is done to Karnataka and the Union Ministers from the State have to rise to the occasion," he said.

Citing the letter written by the Chief Minister of Karnataka Jagadish Shettar on December 10 to Dr Manmohan Singh against notifying the award without consulting the state government, Gowda hoped that the latter would not disrespect the appeal.

Urging the Centre against notifying the final award till State’s Special Leave Petition (SLP), challenging the award was disposed of by the Supreme Court, the JD(S)  supremo said the Prime Minister had to take stand on the notification of final award of CWDT on the lines of Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT).

 
''Wait till SLP in SC is Disposed Of"

The Centre had waited till Supreme Court disposed SLP filed by the State Government in the case of notifying verdict Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal and the same yardstick must be followed now, he demanded.

The former prime minister pointed out that, final awards of the Beas and Ravi Water Disputes Tribunal (BRWDT) had not been notified as an SLP was pending in Supreme Court.

“The Centre should follow the precedent and wait till Supreme Court clears the case," he said and warned that notifying the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal without disposing of the special leave petitions filed by the State Government would be a grave miscarriage of justice and the due process of law.

Recalling the manner in which the interim award of CWDT was notified, Gowda said, the then Union government “coming under pressure" created a history of sorts by doing so while completely forgetting to notify the final award of BRWDT.

“No opportunity was given to raise the issue in the Parliament, as Tamil Nadu members trooped in to the well and created ruckus," he said and explained that he had tried his best to discuss the issue in parliament.

Though a provision has been created to review KWDT award once in thirty years, Gowda sazid such a provision was absent in CWDT and it would be against the interests of the State if an opportunity to review of the award was denied.

 
State to Utilise Dead Water Storage in KRS, Kabini

With the water level in the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini reservoirs plummeting sharply, the State Government has decided to utilise dead water storage level in both reservoirs to ensure supply of drinking water to Bangalore and Mysore cities till the end of this year’s summer (May end).

Karnataka’s  Water Resources Basavaraj Bommai, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) S Suresh Kumar, who is also the minister for law and parliamentary affairs, and Agriculture Minister Umesh Katti, who held a high level joint meeting with top officials of their respective departments and decided to utilise dead storage level water to tackle drinking water crisis in both cities till end of May.

The BWSSB draws water from the KRS (Krishna Raja Sagara) and Kabini reservoirs to supply water to the City.

Bommai, who briefed the media after the meeting, said water storage in KRS and Kabini reservoirs was 18.309 tmcft while the live storage was 10.05 tmcft and the rest was dead storage (8.2tmcft).

Inflow of 3.5 tmcft was expected in both reservoirs during January-May.
 

''No Water Rationing in Bangalore, Mysore"
 
However, the minister ruled out the rationing of water to both Bangalore and Mysore cities.
The storage level has drastically slumped in KRS following release of water to Tamil Nadu.
While the maximum capacity of the dam is 124.80 feet, storage has reduced to 80 feet. With summer expected to be severe this year, water level is further expected to dip in the reservoir.

A high-level committee comprising Bommai and Kumar would monitor availability of water in both reservoirs on a regular basis.

A total of 1.5 tmcft of water is required a month to ensure adequate supply of water to Bangalore City. This added up to 7.5 tmcft of water requirement for Bangalore during January-May.

Existing machines would be upgraded to lift water from dead storage level in KRS and Kabini reservoirs to tackle water crisis in Bangalore.

However, answering a question, the minister allayed fears of a severe water scarcity.

“There is sufficient water to meet drinking requirement for coming summer. There is no need to panic," he said and made it clear that the State Government had no plans to introduce rationing of drinking water in Bangalore and Mysore.