CHENNAI:
Karnataka agriculture minister
Krishna Byre Gowda
on Monday said if Karnataka builds a dam across the
Cauvery in Mekedatu, it will help his state “release water to
Tamil Nadu in a timely manner.”
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of a conference on farming system for nutrition at the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation here, the minister said, “Even today, the stand of the government of Karnataka is that as per the Cauvery tribunal order, we are committed to release that quantity of water, in a timely manner.”
“If we build a dam, that will help us release water to Tamil Nadu in a timely manner. If Tamil Nadu gets all the water in one month, it is of no benefit to farmers here. There is a monthly cycle of release, which will benefit farmers in Tamil Nadu. If we build a dam, it is not intended to take away the waters of Tamil Nadu. It will help improve the quality of releases to Tamil Nadu,” he said.
He said he did not want to discuss the issue of the Cauvery management board as it is sub judice. However, he added, “Definitely this year also, there is a severe drought in the Cauvery delta – in the upper and lower portions. We are looking at a bad crisis this year too. Both the states will have to come together to manage the crisis this year.”
On the issue of the recent income tax raids on Karnataka minister D K Shivakumar, he alleged that the “Central government has started extensively misusing constitutional institutions like the Enforcement Directorate, the Income Tax department and the CBI.”