Urbanites facing threat of drinking water crisis: Min

Mandya: Cauvery River Water Management Authority (CRWA) has been appraised of the fact related to Cauvery river water sharing, agriculture minister N Cheluvarayaswamy said on Friday, even as he reiterated the state’s request to the authority to withdraw its recent order to release 5,000 cusecs of water every day for a period of 15 days.
Speaking to reporters, the minister said the crops in the Cauvery catchment area in Karnataka are damaged owing to scanty rainfall.“Urbanites are also facing the threat of drinking water crisis,” he stated.
The state government was also planning to move the Supreme Court over the issue, as it was not possible to release water, as water levels in reservoirs have depleted. He also expressed confidence about the authority issuing orders in favour of Karnataka considering the actual facts.
Besides rejecting BJP’s allegations about the state government’s alleged negligence over water management, the minister hit back, saying the saffron party did not attend the all-party meeting convened by the government to discuss the issue.
Commenting about the possible coalition between BJP and JD(S), the minister said there was no unity among the leaders within BJP, because of which there was a delay in naming an opposition leader. “With no unity among themselves, they have now decided to form a coalition with JD(S),” he said.