A day after the Cauvery River Authority directed Karnataka to ensure inflows into Mettur reservoir in Tamil Nadu as stipulated by the tribunal, chief minister S M Krishna on Thursday stuck to his position, saying it would be considered only within the 'limitations' of the state hit by drought. “This is an abnormal year. None of our reservoirs is filled up. The Prime Minister has taken note of this. If somebody does not want to recognise this harsh reality, there is nothing we can do,” Krishna said in a blunt response at a news conference at Bangalore on completing two years in office on Thursday.
Repeating the stand as spelt out at the CRA meeting in Delhi on Wednesday that Karnataka was not in a position to spare water to Tamil Nadu in view of depleted water levels in Cauvery basin reservoirs, Krishna said that the monsoon had just begun in Tamil Nadu, whereas it was over in the state. The CRA, headed by Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, which was described as a 'toothless and powerless body' by Tamil Nadu chief minister O Paneerselvam at Delhi on Wednesday, has asked Karnataka to ensure inflows into Mettur as stipulated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
Bureau Report