Cauvery issue: Bharti convenes meet of Karnataka, TN ministers

New Delhi, Sept 28: In line with the Supreme Court's fresh order, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti has convened a meeting of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu ministers tomorrow to find a political solution to the "impasse" over Cauvery water dispute.

The apex court had yesterday asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to facilitate a meeting of the executive heads of the two warring riparian states with the Centre over the next two days to find a solution to the dispute.

It has also asked Karnataka to discharge 6,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu till Friday despite its Assembly resolution. According to an official source, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to attend the trilateral meet, while his Tamil Nadu counterpart J Jayalalithaa, currently recuperating at a Chennai hospital, will depute state PWD Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy to represent the state in the discussion.

"Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti to chair a meeting tomorrow on Cauvery with CM of Karnataka and PWD Minister of Tamil Nadu," tweeted Union Water Resources Ministry spokesperson Samir Sinha.

Ministers in charge of water resources departments and chief secretaries of the two states will also be present in the meeting. The Union minister will attempt to resolve the issue "amicably" keeping in view the series of protests and violence which erupted in the two states last month after the Supreme Court's orders on the issue, an official source said.

The Karnataka government has been expressing its inability to release the quantum of water as directed by the apex court, saying its four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin do not have adequate storage and is struggling to even meet its own drinking water requirement.

Meanwhile, Congress MPs from Karnataka have demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in this matter and also urged him to ensure the Cauvery Water Management Board is not constituted as directed by the apex court.

They had also staged protest in Parliament complex yesterday over the issue. Earlier in the day, opposition parties in Karnataka had asked the Siddaramaiah government not to release the 6,000 cusecs of water tomorrow for Tamil Nadu as per the apex court's latest order.

PTI