K'taka govt writes to CWMA to review its order, Shivakumar defends releasing Cauvery water to TN
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday defended the decision to release Cauvery river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu, calling it a "balancing act" even as he said the state has written to the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) requesting it to review the order.
Highlighting reduced rains and scarcity of water in the Cauvery basin, he said the CWMA has directed the state to release 10,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu on a daily basis for the next 15 days.
"There are court orders, there are orders regarding how the distress formula works. Protecting our farmers' interests is a big responsibility for me. Legislators from Mandya may protest against the release of water (to TN)...also, we can't give everything to Tamil Nadu, the government will have to do a balancing act," Shivakumar, who is also Water Resources Minister said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "We have written to the authority yesterday requesting it to review its decision to release 10,000 cusecs of water per day for 15 days to Tamil Nadu, because there is less rains, there is scarcity of water even for drinking, leave aside agriculture."
"Tamil Nadu has utilised water for crops, the water we release from here is taking five to six days to reach there, but still they have used," he said.
Tamil Nadu on Monday approached the Supreme Court with a plea to direct Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs of Cauvery water daily for standing crops.
Following this, Shivakumar had on Tuesday had said Karnataka would release 10 tmc ft of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu, while maintaining that the state doesn't have sufficient water in dams to meet its requirements like drinking water and agriculture, due to deficit monsoon.
Taking strong exception to the Karnataka government's decision to release Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu, the opposition BJP and JD(S) on Thursday had accused the Congress dispensation of 'betraying' the people of the state and its farmers for the sake of politics and to save its INDIA bloc ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK is a part of the opposition bloc.
Responding to it, Shivakumar said, "Should I give the list regarding the quantum of water released during the BJP and JD(S) governments in the past, during such a situation. I don't want to do politics."
"We will surely call an all-party meeting depending on the situation. We have already planned to call a meeting on Mahadayi, Krishna and Cauvery river water disputes and seek the opposition's suggestions," he added.
JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday had urged the government to call an all-party meeting on the Cauvery issue.
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IAF to hold 2-day wargame along frontier with Pakistan: NOTAM issued
New Delhi, May 6 (PTI): The Indian Air Force will carry out a two-day mega military exercise along the border with Pakistan from Wednesday that will involve all the frontline fighter jets including Rafale, Su-30 and Jaguar aircraft, sources in the defence establishment said on Tuesday.
The exercise is taking place amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
India's civil aviation authorities have already issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for the major air exercise that will largely take place along the southern and western section of the Indo-Pakistan border.
India's frontline fighter jets including the Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Mirage-2000, Tejas and AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft are set to feature in the exercise, the sources said.
In the course of the exercise, the IAF will simulate enemy targets on ground and in the air with deadly precision, they said.
The militaries of both India and Pakistan are on a high alert following rising tensions between the two nations.
Soon after the Pahalgam terror attack, India, citing "cross-border linkages" to the strike, promised severe punishment to those involved in it.
In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass on April 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the armed forces have "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India's response to the terror attack.
Air Chief Marshal A P Singh met Prime Minister Modi on Sunday and the Chief of Air Staff briefed him about the IAF's operational readiness.
On Saturday, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi apprised the prime minister on the overall situation in the critical sea lanes in the Arabian Sea.
