'Water release to TN as per tribunal distress sharing formula'

Denying the Opposition charge that Karnataka has 'compromised' the interests of its farmers, Water Resources Minister M B Patil today said the state has released Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as per distress sharing formula of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal.
"There is no question of compromising with the needs and interests of our farmers. We have released Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as per the distress sharing formula of the Tribunal award," he said in a statement in the Legislative Assembly.
The discharge is also as per legal commitments in the backdrop of the case still pending in Supreme Court, he said.

Karnataka has released 14.73 tmc water in the last two months, which includes 5.98 tmc in June and 8.75 tmc in July so far, Patil said.
The state, he added, was supposed to release 44 tmc as per the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal's final award.
Patil also said "the water is being released from Kabini Reservoir, which is full, at the rate of 25,328 cusecs. The outflow from KRS is only 446 cusecs."

He also assured to release water for irrigation from August first week from KRS after the repair and renovation works of the tunnel section of the canal.

Raising the issue, JDS member Cheluvarayaswamy charged the government with releasing water to Tamil Nadu, even as Karnataka farmers have been asked not to cultivate paddy and sugarcane in Mandya, Mysore and Hassan districts.
Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar also demanded that the government release water into the canals.