Karnataka Water Resources Minister M B Patil today said the future course of action over the Krishna River Tribunal final award would be decided after consultations with members of the state legislature.
Replying to discussion on the issue in the Legislative Assembly, Patil said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has promised to allocate more funds for completing irrigation projects in the Krishna basin.
Opposition JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy said the Justice Brijesh Kumar Tribunal's award on Krishna water dispute would be detrimental to the state as it will not have adequate water to take up irrigation projects.
He said water allocation to the state is not proportionate to the basin, cultivated and drought-prone areas which is larger than that in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
BJP Floor Leader Jagadish Shetter asked government to speed up irrigation projects in Krishna basin to utilise completely its share of water.
Former Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Karnataka paid Rs 5 crore to purchase one TMC water from Maharashtra and supplied drinking water in tankers to Krishna basin areas in June-July.
Still the Tribunal has asked Karnataka to release 10 TMC to Andhra Pradesh from Krishna during June-July, Bommai said.
The government should get ready for legal battle as the Tribunal did not indicate anything on the usage of surplus water, he said.
