The Hindu : `Enough water in Karnataka reservoirs'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 03, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

`Enough water in Karnataka reservoirs'

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE NOV. 2. The Karnataka Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education, B.K. Chandrashekar, said today that there was adequate water in the reservoirs in the State, and the Government was in a position to release 6,000 cusecs of water daily to the Mettur Dam, from November 7 to 15, even if the rain stopped.

Addressing presspersons here today, he said that in view of the increase in the quantity of water reaching the Mettur Dam, the Government was likely to stop release from the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir. The Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, and the Minister for Major Irrigation, H.K. Patil, would take a final decision on the issue, he added.

Ruling out release of water from the Kabini reservoir, Prof. Chandrashekar said there was adequate water in the reservoirs for supply to crops in the Cauvery basin areas, and more rain were forecast.

As on November 1, 2002, 38,276 cusecs of water had reached the Mettur Dam, and the inflow of water at the Belligundulu gauging station was 22,139 cuses till yesterday. Tamil Nadu had drawn 50 tmcft. of water this year against 127 tmcft. last year from the Mettur Dam. The storage in the Belligundulu station was 64 tmcft. on October 31 this year, against 123 tmcft. on the same day last year, he added. To a question on the need to convene a meeting of the Cauvery River Authority (CRA), Prof. Chandrashekar said it was not crucial at this juncture. The Tamil Nadu Government would boycott the meeting once again on the grounds that Karnataka had not complied with the orders issued by the CRA, he added.

Prof. Chandrashekar, who is the Minister in charge of Mandya district, said the situation was peaceful, and curfew was lifted this morning. Ban orders under Section 144 were likely to be lifted in view of Deepavali. Vested interests had destroyed peace in the district for their own purposes, he added.

On the police action on journalists in Mandya during the agitation, Prof. Chandrashekar said he was aware of it, and would discuss it with the Home Minister soon.

Quoting a study on groundwater, the Minister said Tamil Nadu had not utilised groundwater resources properly. There was a need to change the cropping pattern in the Cauvery basin areas in the wake of consecutive droughts, and cultivate drought-resistant crops, he added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

`Enough water in Karnataka reservoirs'

Peace returns to Mandya

Rain ensures steady inflow into gauging station

JD(U) team to `lobby' in Delhi for CRA meet

Stop release from Mettur Dam: BJP

Revise order, Wadiyar urges PM

Science Congress to include Space Summit

Revision of voters' list from Nov. 7

12 more reserved seats in Assembly