BENGALURU: Amid escalating tensions over the Cauvery water-sharing dispute, Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay’s proposed visit to Bengaluru Monday to iron out differences is likely to be deferred.Karnataka chief minister DK Shivakumar Friday urged his counterpart to reconsider the trip, saying the current atmosphere was not conducive for bilateral talks.Shivakumar’s appeal comes amid widespread protests over the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) directive, asking Karnataka to release water to TN.Farmer organisations have threatened to lay siege to Kempegowda International Airport and the venue of the proposed talks if Vijay lands in Karnataka to press for Cauvery water.Shivakumar said the meeting, planned to discuss a range of inter-state issues, would be held only after the current situation improves.He said the state govt would decide its next course of action after Sunday’s all-party meeting and consultations with legal experts.Referring to the recent consensus between Karnataka, AP and Telangana on the Tungabhadra project, he said inter-state river disputes could be resolved through dialogue.With TN already indicating it would move Supreme Court over what it termed as Karnataka’s non-compliance with the CWMA order, water resources department officials said the state may have to release some water while contesting the case, placing scientific data on rainfall, reservoir storage and water availability before the court.
