Cauvery talks fail, Karnataka won’t give water to Tamil Nadu

The talks between Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and her Karnataka counterpart Jagadish Shettar on the Cauvery water sharing row failed.

Zeenews Bureau

Bangalore/Chennai: The talks between Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and her Karnataka counterpart Jagadish Shettar in Bangalore on Thursday on the Cauvery water sharing row failed to produce any amicable result. Speaking to reporters after holding ‘failed’ talks with Shettar, Jayalalithaa said that Karnataka flatly refused to release any more water, maintaining the stalemate in the decades-old vexed dispute. “We requested 32 tmc ft water, but Karnataka flatly refused to even give us another drop,” she said. “The next Supreme Court hearing is tomorrow. We will go before the Supreme Court and tell them the outcome of today’s meeting,” she added. Defending his decision, Shettar, meanwhile, said that it was not possible to release water to Tamil Nadu as only 37 tmc ft water is available in reservoir. He further blamed the neighbouring state for being unwilling to look at long-term solution to the long-running dispute. The duo met heeding the Supreme Court’s suggestion that both the CMs should meet and arrive at an amicable solution to the "sensitive" water dispute. Ahead of the meeting with his Tamil Nadu counterpart, Shettar had expressed confidence in solving the Cauvery water sharing stalemate. "Both neighbouring states are in distress. We have to find a solution in the present circumstances. I am confident we would find so," he had told reporters after unveiling the Karnataka Youth Policy-2012. This was the second time in 15 years that the Chief Ministers of the two states held bilateral talks on the water row after 1997 when M Karunanidhi and JH Patel met in Chennai. "This is a question of farmers; not concerning any political party," said Ashoka, who holds the Transport and Home portfolio in the BJP government. "If there is an acceptable solution for farmers of both states, it would be good for them." Hearing the issue, the Supreme Court had on Monday suggested that both chief ministers should give it a try and meet in a congenial manner and discuss the issue in the larger interest of farmers of both states. (With PTI inputs)