MP writes to MK Stalin urging him to consider Karnataka’s perspective on Cauvery

Lahar Singh Siroya, Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, has written a letter to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu amidst an intense legal battle between the states with regard to the quantity of release of  Cauvery water from the Mettur dam, at a time when many districts across Karnataka have been declared as having been affected by droughts. 

The letter urged for solutions that are derived from mutual understanding.

 “I have a small commonsensical viewpoint. Tamil Nadu should realise that Karnataka is not holding back water deliberately. It is just that its reservoirs are empty and there is drought in nearly 70 percent of the taluks in the state. Also, there is a drinking water crisis emerging,” the letter stated.

“The best solution for this distress situation is for both states like brothers to understand each other's needs and crisis and share whatever limited water is available equitably.

This can happen only if the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka meet and discuss the situation. More can be achieved by this meeting than by seeking the help of the Central government or the Courts,” the letter emphasised. 

“We should at least break the old cycle of seeing the sharing of Cauvery River water as a regional conflict and a major dispute. This conflicting approach has been prevalent for decades. Instead, it is best to view it as a humanitarian crisis to be addressed maturely by two state governments. There should be no scope for politics and rhetoric in this matter,” the letter added.