Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Irrigation Department officials will shortly hold a meeting to discuss the situation arising out of poor monsoon rains and the demand for release of water from Tamil Nadu, according to Mandya district in-charge Minister Cheluvarayaswamy.
Fielding queries from reporters in Mandya on Saturday, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy said the State was facing a shortfall of rains. While the State requires water for drinking purpose, Tamil Nadu had placed a demand for release of water at the recent Cauvery Water Monitoring Committee, he said.
“There is drinking water scarcity here. We can’t even release water to Tamil Nadu while farmers are also facing a problem with regard to their crops,” he said before adding that a meeting will be held with the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds the Irrigation Department portfolio, and the department officials in the next two or three days to discuss the matter and take an appropriate decision.
Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy, who recently prayed for rains, said he was optimistic of rains as the meteorological department report had predicted good rains by the end of July. “It is inevitable for us, but to be hopeful,” he said.
He said the inflow into the KRS reservoir went up to 13,000 to 14,000 cusecs per day, taking the water level to 89 feet. But, the inflow had suddenly gone back to 2,500 cusecs per day during the last four days.
Claiming that there was a shortage of water, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy favoured a wait and watch approach. To questions, he said the State government will think about declaring drought and resorting to cloud seeding only when all hopes for rains were lost.
A Cabinet sub-committee had already been formed to look into the situation arising out of poor rainfall and take suitable decisions, he added.
