Mandya: Stating that Karnataka will not release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu under any circumstances, Srirangapatna MLA Ramesh Bandisiddegowda Thursday said he was confident that the Supreme Court would deliver a favourable verdict for the state in the Cauvery dispute.Speaking to reporters in Srirangapatna, he said an appeal had been filed before the Supreme Court and that the state govt was committed to protecting Karnataka’s interests.He extended full support to the farmers’ agitation and said the govt would not abandon them.The MLA said the prevailing water crisis had been brought to the notice of chief minister DK Shivakumar. Discussions had also been held with senior advocates representing the state before the Supreme Court.While Karnataka would abide by the court’s decisions, pressure was being exerted on the govt to ensure that water was not released to Tamil Nadu, he said.Bandisiddegowda said several taluks had been declared drought-hit and discussions were under way on drought relief measures. The state govt was also in touch with the Centre, and efforts were being made to find solutions to the issues, he added.
