H.D. Kumaraswamy terms CWRC order ‘death knell’ for Karnataka, seeks better rainwater storage
Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has criticized the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's order for Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu, calling it a 'death knell' for the state. He urged for better long-term water storage infrastructure and criticized past management of surplus rainwater.
Why it matters
High-level political opposition to water-sharing mandates highlights the difficulty of balancing agricultural needs across state borders during drought conditions.
Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy has said that the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s (CWRC) direction to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu will prove to be Karnataka’s “death knell”.
Speaking to the media at Mavinakere in Holenarasipur taluk on Wednesday, he said Karnataka was facing acute scarcity of water owing to a poor monsoon. “Farmers are already struggling owing to the shortage of water, and the State is concerned about ensuring adequate drinking water supplies. In such a situation, directing Karnataka to release water to a neighbouring State is neither scientific nor practical,” he said.
Mr. Kumaraswamy warned that the situation would worsen if the State did not receive adequate rainfall. He called upon political parties, farmers’ organisations and the public to unite in opposing the CWRC’s directive.
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