Cauvery issue: No immediate crisis due to good rain, says Kumaraswamy

Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy allayed fears of an immediate Cauvery water crisis, citing good rainfall. At an all-party meet, Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar pushed for the Mekedatu project as a permanent solution, urging talks with Tamil Nadu.

Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Sunday said there is no immediate crisis over the Cauvery water issue due to good rainfall. He said that discussions at the all-party meeting were mainly focused on handling the situation in the future. Speaking to the reporters after an all-party meeting over the Cauvery water issue, Kumaraswamy said, "Because of the good rainfall, water is already flowing to Tamil Nadu, and there is no immediate demand or crisis. The discussions are mainly about how to handle the situation in the future. Any final decision will be taken by the government."

Mekedatu Project Pitched as Permanent Solution

In the meeting, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the Mekedatu project is a permanent solution to the Cauvery water issue and called for discussions between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to resolve the matter amicably. He said the state should move forward by considering the Supreme Court's judgment and the Centre's response, while seeking cooperation from all stakeholders.

Karnataka CM said, "The Mekedatu project is the permanent solution. The Supreme Court has already delivered its judgment, and the Central Government has also given its response. Taking all that into consideration, we should move forward without wasting any more time. This is not about Tamil Nadu getting more or Karnataka getting less. We should use this opportunity to bring both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to the table, hold discussions, and resolve the issue amicably. We expect everyone's cooperation in this effort."

Long-standing Inter-State Conflict

The Cauvery water dispute is a long-running inter-state river water-sharing conflict with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu being the principal parties. The dispute revolves around how the waters of the Cauvery River should be shared, particularly during years of low rainfall. The issue resurfaced amid developments concerning the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, proposed by Karnataka. It has been a major point of friction between the two states, with Tamil Nadu traditionally opposing it on the grounds that it would affect the flow of water downstream. (ANI)

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