Union Power and Corporate Affairs Minister M. Veerappa Moily today stressed the need to resolve the Cauvery river water sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu amicably.
Without naming either warring State, Moily, speaking at the founder’s day award function organised by the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), invoked one of Mahatma Gandhi’s famous quotes: “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.”
Referring to the water-sharing row, the former Karnataka Chief Minister said there is no “turbulence” in the Cauvery river, and called for “joining together and solving the problem.”
Former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa appealed to Moily to bring to the notice of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who chairs the Cauvery River Authority, the ground reality on water availability in Karnataka, including the drinking water needs of Bangalore.
There is apprehension that the Cauvery issue will lead to law and order problems and also have an adverse impact on the harmonious relations between Kannadigas and Tamils, he said.
“Rains have started in Tamil Nadu; it has stopped in Karnataka. Karnataka has witnessed worst drought since 1971,” Yeddyurappa said.
Protests on
Protests over release of water to Tamil Nadu entered third day today in the river basin districts even as the Karnataka government said it would file a petition in Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Prime Minister to review the decision of the Cauvery River Authority headed by him on water release.
Vehicular traffic between Mysore-Bangalore remained disrupted following continued protests by farmers and pro-Kannada outfits in Mandya, Maddur, Gejjalagere and other areas.
A group of farmers forced their way into the Cauvery water pumping station in Torekadanahalli near Malavalli in Mandya district, from where Bangalore gets Cauvery water, and switched off the pumps, police said, adding, they dispersed the protesters and restored its working.
At Malavalli, members of Rajya Raitha Sangha, a farmers’ body, held a semi-nude protest. In Bangalore, pro-Kannada activists gheraoed Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and were later arrested.
Farmers’ bodies also held protest in the city and demanded the resignation of Shettar.
Shettar, speaking at the Gandhi Jayanthi function in the city, said the government is filing a petition before Supreme Court praying for a direction to the CRA to review its September 19 directive for releasing 9,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu.
Governor H.R. Bhardwaj advocated that an amicable settlement should be found to the Cauvery water sharing dispute. He said confrontational approach would not help solve the row.