From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Aug 30: Taking strong exception to the one-day bandh in neighbouring Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery water issue, Karnataka’s Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra termed the action as ``completely politically motivated.’’

“When Karnataka has no water to release, there is no question of releasing water,’’ he said.

He made it clear that Tamil Nadu government and its politicians must realise the fact that Karnataka has not built dams for releasing water to Tamil Nadu at the cost of neglecting its farmers and people.

“We do not have water for our farmers in the Cauvery basin,’’ he said explaining that the State has other commitments to meet the drinking water requirements of the people of Bengaluru and other towns in the basin.

The minister bluntly said:  ``Bandh tactics will not work.’’

Expressing the State Government’s strong resentment and opposition to Tamil Nadu’s “unreasonable’’ demands, he said: ``Let Tamil Nadu build dams for storing water. Let it build a dam near Hogenkkal and store excess water going waste into the sea.’’

“Bandh or no bandh, we don’t have water to release to Tamil Nadu,” said Jayachandra in response to a question of bandh in the neighbouring state.

He said deficit monsoon has put Karnataka farmers in greater distress than any other states. 

“We have released water to Tamil Nadu when the State has received normal monsoon,’’ Jayachandra told reporters in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

He asserted that the State Government would make its stance clear before the Supreme Court on availability of water in reservoirs in Karnataka. 

Karnataka would soon file an affidavit in the Apex Court explaining its inability to release water to Tamil Nadu owing to deficit rainfall and poor storage of water in reservoirs in the Cauvery basin, Jayachandra said.

He also pointed out that Tamil Nadu was likely to get rains in the coming months. ``The neighbouring State Government should cooperate,’’ he added.