Karnataka today deferred decision to release water in the Cauvery river to Tamil Nadu till the outcome of the Chief Ministers meet convened by the Union government tomorrow.
Briefing newsmen after a three hour cabinet meeting that followed an all party meeting in the morning, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the government decided to follow the unanimous Legislature resolution against release of water.
The all party meeting and the subsequent cabinet meeting was held in the wake of Supreme Court, while directing the centre to hold the chief ministers meeting, wanted Karnataka to release 6000 cusecs of water for three days till September 30, the date of next hearing.
Mr Siddaramaiah said the government will take the ‘next step’ only after explaining the grim situation in the state, where water was enough only for drinking water purposes in the four reservoirs coming under Cauvery basin and cannot supply it for agriculture in the neighbouring state.
However, he hastened to add that the government was not in favour of ‘going against’ the supreme court directions, but it also has to abide by the resolution passed in the Legislature.
Both BJP and JD(S) had at the all party meeting urged the Siddaramaiah government not to release water as per court directions and advised the government to take a suitable decision after the meeting tomorrow convened by Water Resources minister Uma Bharati.