Cauvery water row: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah holds meeting with retired judges of Supreme Court, irrigation experts

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 29 : Hours after Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) directed Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to its neighbouring Tamil Nadu every day until October 15, state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a meeting with retired judges of the Supreme Court and others. 
In the meeting with the retired judges of the top court, irrigation experts, and former Advocate Generals over the Cauvery River water-sharing issue, state Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar was also present. 
This came after CWMA, on Thursday, upheld the decision of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC), and directed Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu every day, until October 15.
Meanwhile, Spiritual guru Sadhguru took to the social media platform, X, and said that bringing large-scale tree-based agriculture and vegetating the 83,000 sq kms of the Cauvery basin is the only way Cauvery will flow 12 months of the year in abundance. 
"Mother Cauvery does not know which state we belong to but she is suffering with depletion and drying up during the summer months. Bringing large scale tree based agriculture and vegetating the 83,000 sq kms of Cauvery basin is the only way Cauvery will flow 12 months of the year in abundance. Let us strengthen and enhance Mother Cauvery rather than fighting over depleted waters. Let wisdom prevail," Sadhguru said in his post on X. 
Moreover, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tejasvi Surya has lambasted the Congress government for its "very casual" approach to the issue.
The MP from Bengaluru South alleged that the Congress is approaching the issue in a "duplicitous manner" to help its INDIA bloc partner, DMK in Tamil Nadu.
“There is no coordination between the CM and the deputy CM. The state government is very casual in its approach. Are they trying to approach this issue in this duplicitous manner because it will help their INDI alliance partner, the DMK government for 2024?” he asked. 
"The state government is releasing Cauvery River water to Tamil Nadu. If Cauvery River water is going to Tamil Nadu like this, the people of Bengaluru will not have drinking water. The Karnataka government has failed to present its case before CWMA (Cauvery Water Management Authority),” Surya said while speaking to ANI on Friday. 
He said that releasing additional water to Tamil Nadu would severely compromise Karnataka’s drinking water needs. The BJP MP said this "very grim reality" needs to be presented before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).
"The Water situation in Karnataka is extremely grim. The state has suffered a 60 per cent deficit in rainfall this year. The state needs about 106 TMC of water, it has only 50 TMC of water. Out of the 34 talukas in the Cauvery basin, 32 are declared a severe drought hit. Farmers do not have water to support their one-standing crop. In this scenario, releasing additional water to Tamil Nadu will severely compromise the state's drinking water needs,” the BJP MP told ANI.
Farmer unions and pro-Kannada organisations have called for a Karnataka Bandh today after the Cauvery Regulatory Committee (CWRC) ordered to release of 3,000 cusecs of water at Biligundlu to Tamil Nadu starting from September 28 till October 15, 2023. In the earlier spell, it was 5,000 cusecs.
Though Karnataka approached the Supreme Court appealing against the direction of CWRC saying that it cannot release the water to Tamil Nadu because of poor rainfall this year, the court refused to intervene in the direction. Many protestors were seen raising slogans that the Cauvery River belongs to them.
The police said that more than 50 people from the organisations have been taken into custody to maintain law and order amid the Bandh call.