Bangalore: Karnataka today (July 23, 2004) declared in categorical terms that there was no question of releasing Alamatti waters to Andhra Pradesh and assured an agitated Opposition that it would not succumb to any pressure including political.

There is no need for the State replicating Andhra Pradesh in leading an all-party delegation to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to apprise the difficulties faced by farmers in North Karnataka, Minister for Industries, P G R Sindhya informed the State Assembly.

He said Union Water Resources minister Priyaranjan Das Munshi had a telephonic talk with the Chief Minister N Dharam Singh yesterday after an all-party delegation headed by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajashekhara Redddy called on the Prime Minister seeking direction to Karnataka to release 50-tmc ft of water from Alamatti reservoir. Sindhya however did not reveal the details of the talks.

He said the State had not taken any decision on water release and assured that the Government like the Opposition was equally concerned to protect the interest of farmers by ensuring water for irrigation.

Earlier raising the issue Jagadish Shettar of BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the party's deputy leader Govind Karjol, alleged that the Andhra Pradesh had given a distorted version to the Centre on the water level storage in Alamatti.

Contrary to Andhra's claims that the storage in Alamatti was 173 tmc ft, Karjol maintained it was only 100 tmc ft.

Karjol said the farmers have taken up sowing operations in about 5.5 lakh acres in the region and the crops require about 150 tmc ft of water.

Earlier Shettar, hitting out at Andhra Pradesh for mounting political pressure on the State to seek water release, cautioned Karnataka against any release.

He warned if the State released water, Andhra Pradesh would be establishing their right on the State's water share also.

Shettar said the Chief Minister should effectively deal with the situation politically and not succumb to pressures.

Vatal Nagaraj (Ind) also opposed water release to Andhra Pradesh.