Tamil Nadu minister Edappadi K. Palanisamy presents a shawl to Union minister Uma Bharti during a meeting on the Cauvery issue in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)
Tamil Nadu minister Edappadi K. Palanisamy presents a shawl to Union minister Uma Bharti during a meeting on the Cauvery issue in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)
The impasse over the Cauvery water sharing issue continued on Thursday as no breakthrough could be achieved in a meeting convened by Union water resources minister Uma Bharti to iron out differences between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
At the meeting that lasted over three hours, Tamil Nadu refused to accept Karnataka’s proposal that an expert committee be sent to the river basin to assess water availability.
“There was a request from the Karnataka government to our ministry to form an expert committee to take stock of the availability of water in the Cauvery basin. The Karnataka chief minister pressed for it. Tamil Nadu could not give its consent to the proposal,” Ms Bharti told reporters after the meeting.
She admitted that, ultimately, the solution to the issue could not be achieved outside the court.
Besides Ms Bharti and Karnataka Chief minister M. Siddaramaiah, Tamil Nadu public works department minister Edappadi K. Palaniswamy, chief the secretaries of the two states, Union water resources secretary Shashi Shekhar, and officials from the Central water commission were present at the meeting.
Ms Bharti said the ministry noted views expressed by the two states during the meeting, convened after a Supreme Court order on Tuesday, and the same would be submitted before the apex court when it hears the matter on Friday.
Referring to the tense situation in the two states, especially in Bengaluru, Mysore and Mandya — the hotbed of Cauvery politics — Ms Bharti urged people to “take care of each other” and ensure that an atmosphere of peace prevails.
“I may go on an indefinite hunger strike along the border between the two states, if the problem persists,”
Ms Bharti said, making an emotional appeal for the resolution of the issue.
Meanwhile, on Karnataka’s demand for sending an expert team to the basin area, water ministry secretary Shashi Shekhar stated there is no provision under law in this regard and that the SC order in the matter also does not speak about it.
