Cauvery water row: Uma Bharti, Karnataka CM, Tamil Nadu minister to meet in Delhi today

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Sep 29, 2016: Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Tamil Nadu PWD Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy will on Thursday meet in Delhi to deliberate on Cauvery water row.

The apex court had asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to facilitate a meeting of the executive heads of the two warring riparian states with the Centre over the next two days to find a solution to the dispute.

Addressing the press CM Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said, "The Karnataka Cabinet has deferred till Thursday the decision on release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as per Supreme Court order. The state government will take any further decision after meeting Uma Bharti on September 29."

A decision to this effect was taken at a state Cabinet meeting after an all-party meeting discussed the apex court order and advised the state government not to release the water till the outcome of the meeting.

At the all-party meeting, the principal opposition parties -- Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal-Secular -- opposed the release of any more water as the state assembly had unanimously resolved to use depleted water stored in dams for drinking purpose only till the onset of the monsoon in June next.

The SC had ordered Karnataka to discharge 6,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu till Friday despite its Assembly resolution.

The Union minister will attempt to resolve the issue "amicably" keeping in view the series of protests and violence which erupted in the two states last month after the Supreme Court’s orders on the issue, an official source said.