Bangalore: Bowing to the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) decision, Karnataka Cabinet
decided to release 4,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for three days from February
11 and to ensure subsequent inflows according the Cauvery water dispute tribunal's
interim order.
Injustice had been meted out to Karnataka by the CRA verdict on February 10, but "we
still bow to its decision", state Information Minister Kagodu Thimappa told
reporters.
Asked from which reservoir the water would be released, he said, "From where it is
available."
Thimappa said the decision had been taken keeping in view the drinking water
requirement of the state for the next four months during summer.
At a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in New Delhi, the
CRA had taken the decision, which Tamil Nadu described as "terribly disappointing"
and Karnataka said it was unhappy with.
Earlier, speaking to reporters, Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna expressed the
hope that the tribunal would protect the interest of the state in its final verdict.
On protests in pockets of Mandya district against the release of water to Tamil
Nadu, Krishna said government had taken all precautions to maintain law and order.
According to reports from Mandya, protesting against the water release, groups of
farmers staged a dharna on the Bangalore-Mysore state highway, blocking the traffic
for about 30 minutes. The protests were peaceful, police said.
PTI
