Cauvery Water Sharing Row: Distress Formula is Necessary, Says MB Patil

Bengaluru: Minister MB Patil, former water resources minister, expressed his opinion that only a distress formula based on practical facts would be effective in sharing Cauvery water between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

In response to questions from the press, he stated, "I was also a water resources minister, and I am making this suggestion based on my experience in handling this ministry."

Currently, meeting the water release demands of the Tamil Nadu government seems impossible and the Karnataka government is trying to communicate the harsh reality to Tamil Nadu, he added

The current situation lacks a mechanism to arrive at a decision during distress conditions such as drought. Therefore, experts from both states should collaborate to formulate a strategy suitable for such situations, he remarked.

In the past, Karnataka used to release 192 TMC (Thousand Million Cubic feet) of water annually. However, through legal proceedings, an additional 14 TMC of water was secured for our state and this provided 4.5 TMC of water to Bengaluru. Even the proposal for the Mekedatu project came to the forefront due to this, Patil shared.

Eminent advocate Nariman represented Karnataka in the past. Now, due to age-related issues, he is no longer able to offer his services, he informed. Patil also expressed confidence that the current advocate would effectively represent the case.