On September 4th, Karnataka’s Agriculture Minister, Mr. E.N. Cheluvarayaswamy, revealed that a decision would be made regarding drought-affected areas in the state. He mentioned this during a conversation with media outlets in Bangalore. A scrutiny and assessment process is underway within the State to examine the regions suffering from a deficit in rainfall.
As a result of low rainfall, Karnataka is currently experiencing a severe water shortage. Even though around 81% of the planned sowing has been completed in designated areas, the lack of timely rains has left our farmers without the expected yields. The decision to announce drought-hit areas will be finalized during the committee meeting scheduled for September 4th,” he stated.
Earlier, Karnataka had initiated the release of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu following the directions of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWCMA). Protests have erupted in the southern parts of the state, especially in Chamarajanagar, where farmers have been suffering from a water crisis.
Cheluvarayaswamy emphasized that Karnataka has been struggling to meet the water needs of its farmers, particularly in regions around the Cauvery and Kabini rivers, as well as the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam in Mysore. In response to these challenges, the Karnataka government had already started releasing 10,000 cubic feet of water daily, as per the CWCMA’s directive. However, there has been no legal action taken against the non-compliance of earlier orders.
He called for an immediate halt to the water release and suggested that legal battles should be initiated in the Supreme Court to resolve the Cauvery water issue. “The interests of Karnataka’s farmers and the need for drinking water must be protected. The Congress government has failed in safeguarding the water needs of our state’s people,” accused Basavaraj Bommai, the former Chief Minister of Karnataka.
The government has been losing this Cauvery-related war since the beginning, he continued.
Even though we’ve been releasing approximately 15 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water daily, as per the CWCMA’s directive, no legal steps have been taken yet.”
The urgency of securing water for Karnataka’s farmers and the welfare of the people is paramount, and the Congress government’s failures in this regard have been highlighted by Bommai.
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