Karnataka: Won't release water to Tamil Nadu amidst severe shortage: CM Siddaramaiah

PTC Web Desk: In the face of a severe water scarcity crisis gripping Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has unequivocally declared that the state will not entertain any requests from the Central Government to release water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu. This bold statement comes as a response to mounting pressure, with the BJP staging protests in Bengaluru's Freedom Park, decrying the acute water shortages in the state capital.

Refuting allegations made by the BJP that Karnataka is diverting water from the Cauvery River to Tamil Nadu,CM Siddaramaiah asserted that such claims are baseless falsehoods. He said Karnataka could only consider releasing water if it possessed an adequate supply, which was currently not the case.

Siddaramaiah said even if Tamil Nadu or the Central Government were to demand the release of water, Karnataka would not comply due to the dire scarcity gripping the state. His remarks reflect the gravity of the situation, underlining the critical need for conservation and prudent management of water resources. Reports from various sources corroborate the severity of the crisis, with water sources drying up in numerous villages across Karnataka. Over 7,000 villages and 1,193 wards, including those in Bengaluru, are predicted to face an imminent drinking water crisis, as assessed by the government on February 10.

The depletion of groundwater and the drying up of more than 3,000 borewells in the capital city exacerbate the situation, painting a grim picture for the months ahead. As Karnataka braces for a potentially more severe summer than the last, the state government faces an uphill battle in ensuring adequate water supply for its residents. In response to the escalating crisis, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board has taken decisive measures by prohibiting the use of drinking water for filling swimming pools. Such actions underscore the urgency of conserving water and implementing stringent measures to mitigate the impact of the crisis.

Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah has also criticised the timing of the central government's implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), insinuating political motives as elections loom on the horizon. Expressing opposition to granting citizenship based on religion, Siddaramaiah questioned the BJP's silence on the matter in the preceding years. The CAA, passed in 2019, aims to provide citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.

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