Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday said that the state government has called an all-party meeting on August 23 on the Cauvery water disputes. Shivakumar said that he has also called some senior MPs to be a part of the meeting to reach a solution to the long-pending issue.

He said, 'Karnataka government is calling an all-party meeting on the water disputes related to Cauvery. This meeting is on Wednesday (August 23). I have called some senior Members of Parliament to be a part of the meeting. I have called this meeting to find a solution.

Shivakumar had said on Thursday that he would request the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to reconsider its decision to share water with Tamil Nadu. The CWMA has directed the Karnataka government to release 10,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu in the next 15 days as the state grapples with water shortage.

Shivakumar said, “We have got an instruction that we have to release 10,000 cusecs of water (from Cauvery) for 15 days. We know that the state is currently grappling with water crisis. We are facing severe drought in some areas.

"Still, we have released water (from Cauvery) in the last four-five days in compliance with the Supreme Court's direction," he said. However, we urge the authority to reconsider this decision (of releasing water) as it may have a direct impact on the availability of potable water in Karnataka.

Meanwhile, on the issue, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said that the Congress government in the state had betrayed the farmers as it did not take up their plight with the Cauvery Water Management Authority. He said, 'The Congress government has cheated the farmers, especially the farmers living in the Kaveri river basin. He did not contest his case before the CWMA. Now he should stand up for our farmers before the Supreme Court and argue our case on merits instead of surrendering before the authority and giving water (to Tamil Nadu). This is cheating with our farmers.