MYSURU: Karnataka chief minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday urged protesters against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu to withdraw their agitation, saying water cannot be held back once the Kabini reservoir is full. He also urged people not to risk their lives by going near water release points.Speaking to media at Mysuru airport amid protests over the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) direction to release 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days, Shivakumar said the state would safeguard the interests of its farmers while complying with court orders. He also accused the BJP of “politicising” the issue and said Karnataka had achieved a “major victory” in the Supreme Court on the Mekedatu project.“Kabini reservoir is filling up. Once a dam is full, water has to be released. It is impossible to hold it back. I humbly appeal to those planning to agitate against the release of water to withdraw their decision,” CM Shivakumar said.Shivakumar said officials were monitoring the reservoir continuously and providing hourly updates. According to him, the inflow into the Kabini reservoir had reached 40,000 cusecs, making it impossible to control the release of water once the reservoir was full.“Even if we decide not to release water, once the reservoir is full, it is impossible to hold it back. Protesters should not go near the points where water is being released. The force of the water can sweep you away. No one should lie down in the path of flowing water,” CM Shivakumar said.Appealing against a bandh and protests, the Chief Minister said peaceful democratic protests were acceptable but should not affect public life or undermine the legal process. He also pointed out that the people of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were citizens of the same country.Recalling previous Cauvery disputes, Shivakumar said former chief ministers S Bangarappa, S M Krishna, H D Deve Gowda and Siddaramaiah had also taken decisions based on the circumstances prevailing at the time.“There is an order to release 177 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu, and the Supreme Court has upheld it. We must respect the court’s order while also protecting the interests of our farmers. Our government is committed to safeguarding the welfare of Karnataka’s farmers,” he said.He said the CWMA had access to water-level data from reservoirs across the Cauvery basin but had rejected Karnataka’s argument that the state had released less than half the quantity discharged during similar situations in the past.Targeting the BJP, Shivakumar accused the party of attempting to politicise the issue. He also referred to the remarks made by Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy and alleged that political leaders in Tamil Nadu were fighting for their political survival.Speaking about the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, Shivakumar said Karnataka had secured a major victory in the Supreme Court and that Parliament had also received a clear legal explanation supporting the state’s right to build the proposed dam.He also described as a “historic decision” the agreement reached by the Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, under the leadership of Union Water Resources Minister C R Patil, to build a balancing reservoir on the Tungabhadra and set up a committee for the project.Referring to the proposed visit of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Vijay Joseph, Shivakumar said the current atmosphere was not suitable for such a meeting and that talks should take place only in a peaceful environment.“If the issue can be resolved through dialogue, let it be resolved that way. Let them receive what is rightfully theirs; we will never stand in the way. Likewise, we should secure the rights granted to us by the court,” he said, adding that a fresh date for Vijay’s visit would be fixed once the situation normalised.On whether Karnataka would continue releasing Cauvery water, Shivakumar said the government would take a decision only after Sunday’s all-party meeting, where former chief ministers, political leaders and legal experts would share their views.He added that while Tamil Nadu had sought 9,000 cusecs of water, the CWMA had directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs.
