Srirangapatna: Accusing the State Congress Government of failing to protect the interests of Karnataka in Cauvery row, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai alleged that the Congress has betrayed the State by releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu at a time when the State was staring at drought.

Speaking to presspersons after leading a BJP delegation to KRS Dam in the taluk yesterday, Bommai maintained that the State Government had miserably failed in convincing the Cauvery Water Management Authority on the actual availability of water in KRS Dam. Charging the State Government of releasing water to TN even before the Court would deliver its order, he said that following widespread protests, the Government has told the Court that it would stop releasing water after Sept.12. The BJP would launch a massive agitation if Cauvery water is released in violation of its submission  in the Court, Bommai said adding that the BJP would press for a crisis period  water-sharing formula  and execution of Mekedatu project across Cauvery river along Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border.

Media prevented

Bommai vented out his anger for not allowing media persons to enter the KRS Dam. He alleged that the Government had restricted media persons to the Dam in order to hide its clandestine release of water to TN in order to please the DMK Government there.

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha too took strong exception for disallowing mediapersons to the dam. Asserting that mediapersons were no terrorists, he said  Government was desperately trying to hide facts concerning water release. He accused  the Congress Government of failing to argue its case strongly  in the Supreme Court as it was mired in excitement following implementation of its poll guarantees.

He also charged the Congress Government of trying to please its electoral partner in Tamil Nadu, the DMK, by releasing more water. Simha warned of a severe agitation if the Government continued to release water to TN at a time when Karnataka is facing drinking water crisis.

Water flow to Tamil Nadu stopped

Even as the BJP delegation headed by former CM Basavaraj Bommai visited the KRS Dam, the State Government on Friday stopped release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The Government had been releasing more than 5,000 cusecs of water every day from KRS to TN for the past 10 days, which had angered the State farmers, forcing them to launch agitations and stirs.

Following the stoppage of water release to Tamil Nadu, the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited (CNNL) authorities started release of water in canals of KRS reservoir. About 3,500 cusecs of water is expected to flow through the channels by Friday night, according to CNNL officials who also said that the water level in KRS Dam stood at 98.06 ft. with an inflow of 2,873 cusecs and outflow of 3,990 cusecs.

Asserting that water release to Tamil Nadu has been completely stopped, the officials further said that 35.53 TMC of water has been released to Tamil Nadu from July 7 till now.

Former Ministers R. Ashoka, Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayan and Govind Karjol, MLA T.S.Srivatsa, party leaders Dr. Siddaramaiah, Sachidananda, Dr. Indresh, Ashok Jayaram, Mandya District BJP President C.P. Umesh, Mysuru Mayor Shivakumar and others were present.