Cauvery water dispute: Karnataka farmers stage over-night protest
What's the story
A group of farmers in Karnataka reportedly held a night-long candlelight agitation in the state's Mandya district over an order to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Notably, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) released an order on Monday directing Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu every day for the next 15 days until September 12.
Insights
Details on Karnakata farmers' protest
According to the news outlet NDTV, the farmers staged a protest at the Krishna Raja Sagara (KSR) Dam, demanding that the release of water be stopped immediately. They also warned that the protests would continue until the release of water was stopped. Other reports also claimed that the agitating farmers staged a protest on the Bengaluru-Mysore highway.
Twitter Post
Visuals from Madya
#WATCH | Karnataka | Farmers in Mandya staged a protest late at night as the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) passed an interim order asking Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu daily for the next 15 days till September 2. pic.twitter.com/2uQwwubjnZ
— ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2023
Details
Deputy CM Shivakumar seeks legal consultation
As per News 18, Tamil Nadu approached the Supreme Court (SC) and sought its intervention to instruct Karnataka to release the Cauvery water. On the back of this, Karnataka decided to submit an affidavit claiming that the tribunal's order was established on the false premise of a regular monsoon in the southern state, which wasn't the case.
What Next?
Shivakumar to visit Delhi over Cauvery dispute
Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is set to visit Delhi on Friday to meet with the legal team handling the matter. Speaking to PTI, Shivakumar stated, "The hearing (on Tamil Nadu's plea) will be coming on Friday. Our department officials have argued very well." "We will discuss how much we can reduce by making the court understand the situation in the state," he added.
More details
SC demands reports from CWMA on water released by Karnataka
Last Friday, the country's top court refrained from passing any official order on a plea filed by the Tamil Nadu government for the release of 24,000 cusecs of water. The top court reportedly stated that it didn't possess expertise in the matter and demanded a report from the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on the amount of water released by Karnataka before September 8.
Further information
Cauvery water dispute between TN, Karnataka ongoing for decades
It is worth noting that the dispute over Cauvery water has been a long-standing issue between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. For decades now, the two neighboring states have been locked in a battle over the sharing of water from the river, which is a primary source of irrigation and drinking water for millions of people living in these two states.