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Federal system prevents people from using state's water:KTK CM

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Press Trust of India Bengaluru
Last Updated : Jun 18 2019 | 7:05 PM IST

With parts of Karnataka reeling under drought, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Tuesday blamed the country's federal system which, he claimed, restricted the people of Karnataka from using water of their state.

"It is the misfortune of our state that even if we fill our tanks, if we have to use our water, the federal structure of the country is such that we are obligated to abide by the court and (river water) tribunal's directions," the chief minister told reporters at Mandya.

Kumaraswamy was speaking after meeting the kin of a farmer at a village in Mandya who allegedly committed suicide.

Before dying, Suresh took a selfie-video addressed to the chief minister where he blamed loans and the lack of water in the water bodies in the locality, for his taking the extreme step and asks the CM to ensure filling the tanks.

He urged farmers not to take such extreme steps because government was looking into their problems.

Kumaraswamy said the government has allocated Rs 213 crore for filling the tanks in the district to improve the groundwater table.

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The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) had recently asked Karnataka to release 9.19 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) water to the lower riparian states for June.

Expressing the state government's helplessness in using its water, Kumaraswamy said "We have to release a definite amount of water to Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery Authority has been formed.It has officers representing Tamil Nadu and the Centre. Today, they have todecide how to distribute the water.

The state government is not in a position to decide," the chief minister rued.

Explaining that the helplessness was not restricted to Cauvery but other rivers too, Kumaraswamy said, "We have been dealt blows in the Cauvery case, Upper riparian of Krishna river and Mahadayi river project water..we are not allowed to use our share of water.

I am not the only one responsible for these many problems but we are trying to rectify things."
I am trying to strengthen the law further."
"..I have got the copy of the law to study it."

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First Published: Jun 18 2019 | 7:05 PM IST

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