‘Drinking water our priority’: DKS says amid Cauvery water release row

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Friday said the state was not able to release the stipulated amount of water to Tamil Nadu from the Cauvery river, adding “having drinking water was our priority”.

Answering a question by reporters who sought to know if the release of water to Tamil Nadu was stopped, he said: “We are not getting the expected inflow of water. We are not able to release the quantity of water directed by the Supreme Court.

“We are expecting rainfall and it is important for us to protect the interests of the farmers. We are committed to it. There are protests seeking stoppage of water release to Tamil Nadu. The situation was managed as there was some rainfall in Bengaluru, Ramanagara region,” he added.

The senior Congress leader further said that “the standing crop and drinking water are our priority”.

Criticising the BJP, he said “let the party leaders first get the required permission for the Mekedatu and Mahadayi projects from the Centre before making allegations against the Congress government”.

“They don’t have the capacity to select a Leader of the Opposition. They can’t tolerate women travelling freely across the state, people getting zero electricity bills and other guarantee schemes,” he said, adding, “there has been no government in India which has implemented four guarantee schemes in 100 days after coming to power”.