Floods offer breathing space

As water from the Cauvery started flowing into Tamil Nadu following heavy showers in the catchment areas, Karnataka Chief Minister Dharam Si...

As water from the Cauvery started flowing into Tamil Nadu following heavy showers in the catchment areas, Karnataka Chief Minister Dharam Singh too softened his stand on water-sharing after a call from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, urging him to release 8216;8216;some8217;8217; water to Tamil Nadu.

Dharam Singh has agreed to 8216;8216;consider8217;8217; the same. 8216;8216;How can we say no to the Prime Minister,8217;8217; he told reporters in Bangalore today.

The decision to ask Dharam Singh to release water to Tamil Nadu was taken after a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs CCPA, which was specially convened by the Prime Minister to discuss the Cauvery crisis.

It is learnt that the PM requested the Karnataka CM to release water to Tamil Nadu but did not specify the quantum of water to be released.

Sources say, only the CRA is authorised to specify the quantum of water to be released. 8216;8216;Only after considering the views of both the chief ministers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, can an agreement be reached on the quantum of water to be released,8217;8217; a senior leader said.

After a 45-minute meeting of the CCPA, Union Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said: 8216;8216;The meeting discussed the Cauvery issue. The Prime Minister will speak to the Karnataka Chief Minister to release water to Tamil Nadu.8217;8217;

During the meeting, Union ministers assessed the water-levels in the reservoirs of the two states and concluded that the water situation was not at all critical in Karnataka. So, it was decided that Manmohan Singh should speak to the Karnataka CM, asking him to release water to Tamil Nadu.

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With this decision, the Congress allies in TN 8212; particularly the DMK, PMK and the MDMK 8212; have scored a point over their rival, the AIADMK, by getting water for the state.

The Karnataka government, on the other hand, has also no reason to feel slighted as water is already overflowing from its dams. Moreover, the PM has been cautious enough not to stipulate the quantum of water to be released.

Hoping for more rainfall till mid-August, the irrigation authorities are maintaining the level at the Kabini reservoir just two feet below the maximum level for the safety of the dam, with the flood inflow being let into the river, sources said.

It was only on Wednesday that DMK leader M. Karunanidhi had written to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi asking her 8216;8216;to intervene and ensure that water is released to Tamil Nadu immediately8217;8217;.

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It was after receiving this letter that Sonia held a meeting with the DMK Union Ministers 8212; Dayanidhi Maran, T.R. Baalu and A. Raja and TNCC Chief G.K. Vasan 8212; at her residence.

The decision to convene a CCPA meeting was taken specially for this purpose, as Dharam Singh has already shown his unwillingness to attend a CRA meet, saying there was no need to convene such a meeting now.