BELAGAVI
Expressing disappointment over the Tribunal’s order on July 27, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah had convened an all-party meeting on August 7 to discuss their future course of action. Apart from writing a letter to the Prime Minister, leaders of all the political parties had extended unconditional support to the state government in initiating measures to ensure justice to Karnataka, which is reeling under the threat of another drought due to lesser rainfall. The decision to file a special leave petition was also arrived at during the meeting.
Acting on the advice of its Supreme Court counsel Adv Fali S Nariman and the legal team, Karnataka filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court claiming that the Tribunal had overlooked the aspect of water that was wasted into the Arabian Sea.
Karnataka has claimed that if surplus water is available, the Tribunal should not have ignored the basic fact, wherein Karnataka was claiming a meagre 7 TMC of water out of the 199.60 TMC from the Mhadei which is wasted into
the sea.
Leaders of various farmers organisations in north Karnataka have hailed government’s decision of filing the leave petition, stating that they have strong hopes that farmers in north Karnataka would get justice one day.
The Kalsa-Bhandura Horata Samiti, which is spearheading the campaing for the implementation of the project, has pinned its hopes on the Supreme Court.
“Everything is not lost for us. We have hopes that the Supreme Court will finally deliver justice in favour of the drought-ridden region of north Karnataka. We have strong belief that we will get justice,” Samiti President Vijay Kukarni told The Goan.
