The Hindu : Release water, Centre tells Karnataka

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 21, 2002

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Release water, Centre tells Karnataka

By Gargi Parsai

New Delhi Sept. 20. As the Cauvery water issue gets politicised, "an exercised'' Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, today directed the Union Water Resources Minister, Arjun Charan Sethi, to ask Karnataka to implement the decision of the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) for release of 9000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu. The Prime Minister, who is the CRA chairman, had also sought details of the releases from the Ministry late last night and is closely monitoring the situation.

Immediately after a review meeting today with the Prime Minister, Mr. Sethi wrote to the Karnataka Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, urging him "to honour the decision of the CRA as agreed to by him'' under which the State must release 0.8 tmcft(thousand million cubic feet) water to Tamil Nadu at Mettur, accounted on a weekly basis through September and October. The Minister also talked to the Karnataka Irrigation Minister, H.K. Patil, on the phone.

He appealed to both the States to exercise restraint.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Sethi said, "Since yesterday, the Prime Minister is very much exercised over the non-release of the stipulated quantity of water to Tamil Nadu by Karnataka.''

He said Karnataka had not complied 100 per cent with the September 2 order of the Supreme Court (asking Karnataka to release 1.25 tmcft water to Tamil Nadu till the CRA took a decision), nor had it implemented the CRA decision taken on September 9, as agreed to — and even welcomed — by Mr. Krishna.

Asked how much Karnataka had complied with the orders, Mr. Sethi said it had only complied with 50 per cent of the apex court's order and 60 per cent of the CRA's decision.

In a letter written to Mr. Vajpayee yesterday, Mr. Krishna had said that he was suspending the release of water ``for the time being'' because of the law and order problem in the State .

Mr. Krishna has convened an all-party meeting in New Delhi to decide further strategy since the matter is listed for hearing before the Supreme Court on Monday.

Tamil Nadu has also filed a contempt petition against Karnataka.

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