From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
 
Bangalore, Oct 1: As the protests against the release of Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu continued and normal life, especially road traffic, was totally disrupted in Mandya, Mysore and Chamarajanagara districts in the heart of Cauvery basin area in Karnataka, State BJP Chief and Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa threw the niceties of protocol to the wind and openly lambasted Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for playing politics for his decision to ask the State Government to release 9,000 cusecs of water a day to the neighbouring State till October 15 without bothering about the plight of the farmers in the State reeling under one of the most severe droughts.

The Prime Minister, who is also the Chairman of the Cauvery River Authority had directed Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu till October 15 even though the water storage levels in the State’s reservoirs was very low and the State was facing severe drought conditions on account of the failure of monsoon, merely because of political compulsions to appease Congress-led UPA regime’s political ally DMK and even curry favour with the AIADMK supremo Jayalalityha, Eshwarappa said.

It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court upheld the Cauvery River Authority’s unjust and one-sided decision without hearing the State’s stand, the BJP leader said pointing out that the Congress-led UPA regime had severely damaged the interests of Karnataka’s farmers.

Eshwarappa, who also holds the Revenue portfolio, said the Prime Minister’s directive aimed at not resolving the water dispute between two states in an amicable manner but creating animosity between the people of two states.

Left with no alternative but to obey the Supreme Court directive, Karnataka on Sunday began releasing Cauvery water from Krishna Raja Sagar and Kabini reservoirs to Tamil Nadu, setting off a wave of protests against the State Government in the river basin districts.
 

Cauvery Protest Bandh on October 6
 
With the pro-Kannada organizations and Cauvery Horata Samiti led by former Congress MP G Made Gowda calling for a bandh on October 6, the opposition Congress and JD(S) parties have accuse the Jagadish Shettar-led BJP regime for properly handling the State’s case before the Cauvery River Authority and the Supreme Court.

The JD(S), which derives its strength in the Vokkaliga dominated Old Mysore region, has gone a step forward in taking political advantage of the situation with JD(S) MP from Mandya Cheluvarayaswamy and four MLAs from the Cauvery basin areas submitting their resignation letters to State party chief H D Kumaraswamy.

Feeling cornered by the opposition onslaught against the State Government, the State BJP Chief said the Government would file a review petition in the Supreme Court and seek a review of its order asking the state to honour the CRA directive to release 9,000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu till October 15.

The State has already urged the Prime Minister to review CRA’s order, he said.
Though the Government maintained that the state was in a distress situation,  the CRA issued ordered the state to release water to Tamil Nadu without studying the ground situation in Cauvery basin districts, Eshwarappa said.

''We are in a helpless situation due to monsoon failure and left with no alternative but to release water to comply with the Apex Court’s order. With due respect to the Supreme Court, we are releasing water,” he said explaining that the neighbouring State had sufficient water in its reservoirs and the monsoon in Tamil Nadu has just started.
 

KSDMA Website Launched
 
The Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa launched a website of Karnataka State Disaster Managing Authority (KSDMA) and said funds will be provided to purchase wireless equipment by 16 districts centres of the authority.

KSDMA was established to tackle the challenges posed by natural calamities. The Centre passed the Bill in 2005 to establish the National Disaster Managing Authority and authorities in all states, he said pointing out that 14 district centres of the KSDMA have wireless connections.

Funds would be released soon to provide wireless connections to centres in rest of the districts. Steps would be taken to develop full-fledged KSDMA cetnres in all districts in the next three months, he said.

KSDMA would build a safe and resilient Karnataka by developing a holistic, proactive, and multi-disaster oriented technology for prevention, mitigation and preparedness and efficient response to reduce the disaster incidence, he said.