Karnataka to present ground realities to Cauvery authorities before approaching SC: DCM Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said the state government has decided to present the ground realities before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) before going to the Supreme Court on the issue of releasing Cauvery river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
Karnataka will appeal to the twin bodies to visit the state and assess the ground realities, he said. The state will also press for construction of the Mekedatu balancing reservoir, by highlighting it as the only solution for the water dispute between the two states during the times of rainfall distress, he added.
As the lack of rains in the Cauvery basin has led to water scarcity, Shivakumar said the situation is grim and expressed hope that Tamil Nadu will show a "soft corner" to Karnataka in allowing it to use at least the water needed for drinking purposes.
"Our latest request is -- CWMA has asked us to release 5,000 cusecs. We have to honour it and we are honouring it, but the situation is very grim, so we are going before them highlighting our difficulty, and we are requesting them to come and see the exact ground situation in both the states," Shivakumar, who holds the Water Resources portfolio, said.
Speaking to reporters, he said the situation is very bleak, pointing out: "There are no rains. We expected some rains. It had only rained in Bengaluru yesterday, but no rains in Cauvery basin. I hope they will visit, look at the situation with their own eyes and make a decision."
Further noting that opposition parties are demanding that the government stop releasing water to Tamil Nadu, the Deputy CM said, "I have consulted legal experts and the Advocate General and they have advised us to submit the ground situation before the authorities -- as they are a technical team -- before going to the Supreme Court,"
"We will place the ground situation with data of water level at Krishna Raja Sagara, Kabini and Hemavati (reservoirs) before both the committee and the authority, after that we will look at the option of going before the Supreme Court," he said.
The issue was mentioned before the Supreme Court by Tamil Nadu today, but it has been posted for Wednesday, he said, adding, "We will present the factual position."
The CWMA has directed Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days from August 29.
The CWMA took the decision based on the recommendation of the CWRC.
Shivakumar also noted that Karnataka will also be filing an application before the concerned authority emphasising that the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project is the "only solution" for the issue.
"We will make them understand that with the Mekedatu project, water could have been stored and such a situation could have been averted. Looking at the ground realities they will be able to understand," he said.
Cauvery is the major source of water for Bengaluru, Mysuru, Ramanagara, Channapatna and surrounding areas, Shivakumar said, adding, the government will safeguard the drinking water needs of the state, and has issued necessary advisories to farmers.
"Protecting the interest of the state is our priority, but we will also have to equally respect and abide by the law," he said.
Various farmers' bodies have been staging demonstrations in Mysuru, Mandya and Chamarajanagar in the Cauvery heartland against the government's move of releasing water to Tamil Nadu, and opposition parties have criticised the Congress government of "doing nothing" to protect the interests of Karnataka.
Noting that during the CWMA meeting on August 29, Tamil Nadu sought for 24,000 cusecs of water, Shivakumar said, "but the state argued about its inability to release
that much and agreed for 3,000 cusecs, but finally the CWMA ordered to release 5,000 causes to Tamil Nadu."
He said Karnataka has released water to Tamil Nadu despite the distress situation, but now the state's farmers are in trouble. Also there is drinking water issue due to inadequate rainfall, and the government has the responsibility to protect the interest of farmers and provide drinking water to people.
Pointing out that Tamil Nadu is aware of the distress situation because of deficit rains and should ideally control its crops in such a situation, the DCM said, but they have not done so, and have used excess water compared to usual from their dams, this year.
"Without utilising water keeping the distress situation in mind, they (TN) are demanding for water before the CWMA," he said, adding that during the CWMA meeting on August 29, the state has highlighted the advantage of the Northeast monsoon to Tamil Nadu, and its utilisation of excess water.
Asked about taking an all-party delegation to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister and central ministers on the inter-state water dispute, Shivakumar said, "We will make a request for appointment during Parliament session that has been called and inform on getting an appointment." PTI KSU RS KSU
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Jharkhand horror: Man kills live-in partner, chops body into 40 pieces
Ranchi (PTI): A 25-year-old man, who works as a butcher, allegedly strangled to death his live-in partner and chopped her body into 40 to 50 pieces in a forested area in Jharkhand’s Khunti district, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Naresh Bhengra, was arrested.
The matter came to light after around a fortnight after the killing when a stray dog was found with human body parts near Jordag village in Jariagarh police station on November 24.
Bhengra was in a live-in relationship with the deceased, a 24-year-old woman also from Khunti district, in Tamil Nadu for the past couple of years. Sometime back, he returned to Jharkhand, got married to another woman without telling his partner anything and went back to the southern state without his wife to join her.
"The brutal incident occurred on November 8 when they reached Khunti as the accused who had married another woman did not wish to take her home. Instead, he took her to a forest near his house at Jordag village in Jariagarh police station and chopped the body into pieces. The man has been arrested," Khunti Superintendent of Police Aman Kumar told PTI.
Inspector Ashok Singh who investigated the case said the man worked in a butcher shop in Tamil Nadu and was expert in slicing chicken.
“He admitted chopping the body parts of the woman into 40 to 50 pieces before leaving those in the forest for wild animals to feast on. The police recovered several parts on November 24 after a dog in the area was seen with a hand," Singh told PTI.
Singh said that the woman, who was unaware of his marriage, pressured him to return to Khunti. After reaching Ranchi, they boarded a train on November 24 and headed to the man's village.
"Under a plan, the man took her to Khunti in an autorickshaw near his home and asked her to wait. He returned with sharp weapons and strangulated her with her dupatta after raping her. He then cut the body into 40 to 50 pieces and left for his home to live with his wife," Singh said.
The woman, however, had informed her mother that she had boarded a train and would be living with her partner, the police officer said.
Following the recovery of body parts, a bag was also found in the forest with the murdered woman's belongings including her Aadhaar card. The mother of the woman was called at the spot and she identified her daughter's belongings.
"The mother suspected the man behind the crime who after being nabbed by the police admitted to chopping the woman into pieces," the official added.
The incident has sent shockwaves among people in the region, with the Shraddha Walker murder case of 2022 still fresh in their memory.
Walker was killed by her live-in partner who chopped her body into pieces before dumping them in the jungle in South Delhi’s Mehrauli.
