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Krishna justifies non-release
of Cauvery waters

"The decision might sound to be questioning accepted authority. But when it comes to safeguarding the interests of the people of Karnataka, an elected government will have to take such decisions and be prepared to face the consequences," he said.

Stating that he had the highest respect for the judiciary, Krishna said, "When the first directive was issued, I faithfully tried to obey that decision. But when the given directive became 'unimplementable', only a disaster would have awaited me if I had implemented the decision."

Describing his government's decision as the most important one taken by any government in the state in the last 54 years, Krishna told PTI in Bangalore that it was a "painful but inevitable decision".

Asked if he had a solution for the raging controversy, he said: "In the immediate future, I do not see a way out. Water cannot be produced."

"Nature alone will be able to solve the problem for this season," Krishna said adding, "Only rains can now cool tempers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu."

But, in the coming years, he suggested that members of the farming community from both the states should come together and work out a permanent solution to the problem of sharing Cauvery waters.

Krishna disagreed with former Karnataka chief minister Veerappa Moily's suggestion that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee should have postponed his foreign visit and called an emergency meeting of the Cauvery River Authority, of which he is the chairman, to end the crisis.

"The prime minister should not be expected to cancel international commitments because of a inter-state water dispute," he said.

PTI

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