11:40 pm: SM Krishna meets Prime Minsiter
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna is meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh now to discuss the Cauvery river waters.
10:40 am: BJP MPs to meet PM separately
PTI reports that in addition to a meeting between the Prime Minister and Congress ministers from Karnataka, the BJP will also meet with him.
BJP MPs from the state will also meet Singh separately at his office, unnamed sources were quoted as saying by the news agency.
9:40 am: Karnataka CM meets SM Krishna and seeks PM’s intervention
Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar has met with External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and asked him to appeal to the Prime Minister to reconsider the decision for the state to have to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
The External Affairs Minister, who had earlier written to the Prime Minister, will be joined by Veerappa Moily when he goes to meet the Prime Minister.
There’s been no word from Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa yet. Its unlikely she’s going to be too pleased with the developments taking place in Delhi today but she’s holding her tongue for now.
Here’s some background on what’s expected:
Amid demands by leaders from Karnataka to review the Cauvery River Authority’s decision of asking the state to release 9,000 cusecs of water for Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has convened a meeting of political leaders from the state today.
The tribunal headed by the Prime Minister had said the water should be released to Tamil Nadu. Image courtesy PIB.
Leaders from Karnataka, including External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, Power Minister Veerappa Moily and BJP leader Ananth Kumar besides Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal will meet the Prime Minister in Delhi for consultations on the contentious water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The consultations come ahead of the Cauvery monitoring committee meeting slated on 11 October. The monitoring panel will decide release of water from Karnataka after 15 October. The Cauvery River Authority had last month directed Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs of water to its neighbouring state on a daily basis between 20 September and 15 October.
Amid a raging water-sharing dispute between the two southern states, a central team is already visiting the two states to see water level in reservoirs, the condition of standing crops and water flow. This visit will help the Cauvery Monitoring Committee to take a call on the issue.
Tamil Nadu had demanded release of 24,000 cusecs of water, while the Supreme Court had asked Karnataka to release 10,000 cusecs. The CRA, after hearing the views of both the states, awarded release of 9,000 cusecs.
CMC comprises officials of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Pudducherry, besides central representatives.
Meanwhile, intense protests over release of water to Tamil Nadu continued to sweep Cauvery river basin areas yesterday as well even as Karnataka said it hoped for a “positive response” from the Supreme Court on its plea for reconsideration of the 28 September order.
“I am optimistic of a good (favourable) verdict (for Karnataka)”, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar told reporters during his visits to Hubli-Dharwad and Belgaum in north Karnataka.
