Cauvery water row: Pro-Kannada activist Nagaraj accuses Siddaramaiah of inaction, warns of strike
Sep 14, 2023
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 14 : Former Chamarajnagar MLA and pro-Kanada activist Vatal Nagaraj on Thursday launched a scathing attack on both the Karnataka Government and the neighbouring Tamil Nadu Government over the Cauvery water issue.
Accusing Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of inaction Nagaraj said, in Wednesday's meeting, no decision was taken and if the Karnataka Government fails to stand firm, he would call for a state-wide protest.
"Karnataka Government held an all-party meeting yesterday, and it is clear that during the meeting the leaders decided to release the water. There is no water in our dams like KRS, Harangi, and others," he said, adding, "There is not enough water in Bengaluru; we need more water for 1.5 crore people. That's why we are protesting against the Tamil Nadu government, which is intentionally doing this by demanding water from Karnataka."
This comes after the pro-Kannada activist and Chaluvali Vatal party leader Nagaraj held a protest on Wednesday amid the Tamil Nadu government's demand for more share of Cauvery water when Karnataka is reeling under a severe water crisis.
Warning the Karnataka government of a state-wide strike, Nagaraj said, "We need at least 110 thousand million cubic (TMC) water; what we have is just around 40 TMC water. The Karnataka government must stand firm, or else we'll give a call for the Karnataka bandh." The BJP and JDS leaders didn't attend all party meetings; it shows their mindset about Cauvery, he said.
On Wednesday, Karnataka CM convened an all-party meeting to discuss the next course of action to be taken in the Cauvery water dispute. Earlier on Monday, the Karnataka government accused the Centre of unnecessarily delaying the Mekedatu project.
The Mekedatu project involves the construction of a balancing reservoir near Kanakpura in the Ramanagara district of Karnataka. The primary objective of the Mekedatu project is to provide drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring areas.
The governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been locked in a protracted tussle over the sharing of Cauvery waters. The river is seen as a major source of sustenance for the people in either state. The Centre formed the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on June 2, 1990, to adjudicate disputes between Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Puducherry with respect to their individual water-sharing capacities.
