The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Government to soon convene meeting on Krishna waters

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 01, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Government to soon convene meeting on Krishna waters

Staff Reporter

Leaders of political parties, irrigation experts to attend

BANGALORE: The Government has decided to convene a meeting of leaders of various parties and experts on irrigation before the next hearing of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal scheduled to be held in August.

Minister for Water Resources K.S. Eshwarappa told the Legislative Council on Friday that the decision was in the light of the interim order of the tribunal on the interlocutory applications moved by Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

`No adverse points'

The Minister said that there were "no adverse points" in the interim order pronounced by the tribunal. However, the Government would take steps to protect its interests after becoming aware of the stand of the other States involved.

Responding to questions by M.P. Nadagouda (JD-U) and `Mukhyamantri' Chandru and Shashil G. Namoshi (BJP), the Minister cited a point in the tribunal order, on the claims of Maharashtra.

It said, "The applicant State has miserably failed to rebut, by any positive evidence and data, the assertion of the contesting lower riparian State of Karnataka that the consequence cited is too remote and is only in the realm of unascertained possibility and not a certainty. None of the contentions of Maharashtra are acceptable."

Assessors' report

The Minister said that an all-party meeting convened by the Government on May 29 in Bangalore on the report filed by the two assessors of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal had felt that the report was against the interests of the State. It had suggested that the Government should urge the tribunal to allocate waters in accordance with the claims the State had already made before it.

All the riparian States had filed a joint statement before the tribunal praying for the final award on the 16-year-old dispute, he replied to a supplementary question from Dr. Nadagouda.

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