Wednesday, July 27 2005 20:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Centre is sending a three-member team to visit both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to assess water availability in dams in the two states in a bid to sort out the dispute between them over release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

The team comprising senior officials from Central Water Commission, Water Resources and Agriculture Ministries would leave on Friday or Saturday and inspect the storage of water in the dams in the two both states for two days and submit a report to the Centre, Water Resources Ministry sources said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had told Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa when she called on him here yesterday (July 26, 2005) that a team of central officials would visit both the states and ensure that the water requirements of farmers in both states are met.

Meanwhile, a Dravida Munnetra Khazhagam (DMK)-led delegation of Union Ministers and MPs from Tamil Nadu today called on United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and urged her to prevail upon Karnataka Chief Minister Dharam Singh to release waters to Tamil Nadu.

The delegation had met the Prime Minister on Monday (July 25, 2005) on the same issue.