Deve Gowda makes emotional appeal in RS for resolution of Karnataka’s drinking water crisis

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Feb 5, 2026: Rajya Sabha member and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Wednesday made an emotional appeal in the Upper House, urging leaders of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to come together to resolve Karnataka’s “major problem” of drinking water.

Speaking during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament, Gowda said he was at the “fag end” of his life and wished to see a lasting solution to the State’s water crisis.

“Today, at the fag end of my life, I don’t want to speak much, especially as elections are around the corner in Tamil Nadu. With folded hands, I beg you to please ensure that the drinking water problem is solved,” he said.

Stating that he had been fighting for Karnataka’s water issues for the past 65 years, Gowda noted that his term as a Rajya Sabha member would also end in a few days. He stressed that the Central government must protect the interests of Karnataka’s farmers and people in matters related to irrigation.

Karnataka is involved in several long-standing inter-State river water disputes, primarily concerning the Cauvery, Krishna and Pennaiyar rivers.

Participating in the debate, Gowda also said that India’s economic foundation had strengthened significantly over the past 11 years. Despite global crises, he said, India had remained the world’s fastest-growing major economy and had succeeded in keeping inflation under control, directly benefiting the poor and the middle class.

He added that government policies had led to increased incomes, higher savings and improved purchasing power among citizens.

Gowda also congratulated the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the trade agreements concluded with the European Union and the United States.