- 7 weeks ago
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Vijay Joseph opened the sluice gates of the Mettur Dam in Salem, releasing water to farmers across the Cauvery Delta region following an 80-day delay. The traditional June opening was postponed to September due to severe rainfall deficits and inadequate water releases from Karnataka into the Stanley Reservoir. Current water storage provides roughly 35 to 40 days of irrigation, missing the Kuruvai planting season and leaving Samba cultivation reliant on future reservoir inflows and the northeast monsoon. TVK spokesperson Sathya Kumar cited natural conditions for the delay, emphasizing plans to pursue dialogue and enforce Supreme Court rulings regarding Karnataka's water allocations. A broadcast discussion further addresses legal and diplomatic avenues in the Cauvery water dispute, alongside Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s proposal to link the Godavari and Kaveri rivers. The report also details political protests in Karnataka over alleged recruitment irregularities and covers flood aftermath and survivor accounts from Nepal's Trishuli region.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Hello and welcome. Good evening. You're watching Super 6 here on India Today.
00:03I'm Akshita Nanda Gopalo. The next 60 minutes will be getting you all the top stories of the day
00:08with our focus on what's happening in the southern state.
00:12So what have we got lined up for you in this edition of Super 6?
00:16We're going to be focusing on the now viral images of Chief Minister Vijay visiting Salem,
00:22opening up the dam gates of the Mehtur Dam.
00:25And this is a huge moment for farmers in the Delta region, but it's after a delay of 80 days.
00:31Courtesy, the lack of rainfall. Courtesy, no water being released by Karnataka.
00:35And so while everyone's talking about the viral images of Chief Minister Vijay,
00:39we'll ask the question about whether the TVK government is prepared to handle the water situation.
00:46What is the solution that they are considering, especially with Karnataka continuing to fight it out legally
00:51and refusing to release water.
00:53Also coming up on the show, we'll get you all the latest coming in on the Nepal rescue relief operations.
00:59Unfortunately, the death toll climbing up to over 1,000.
01:03But there was one viral image of one house that survived the deluge, that survived the flash floods.
01:10India Today has reached that particular spot.
01:12We'll get you that ground report as well as the images that you see on your screens
01:15of a dog continuing to roam in the area that once called home.
01:21We'll get you all of those details, those ground reports and much more on this edition of Super 6.
01:26Let's begin with the headlines.
01:32Prime Minister Modi's blistering attack on Congress over India's GDP growth says Jhoot Ki Gunj Brigade spreading gloom.
01:40Congress questions GDP numbers, which shows the economy growing by 7.8% in Q1.
02:03Prime Minister Modi's power grip with two superpowers at the S.C.O. summit, double handshake with GM Putin steals
02:10the show in Bishkek.
02:11Prime Minister raises issue of cross-border terror and urges to end terror funding in the presence of Pakistan Prime
02:18Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
02:22And meanwhile, what's Pakistan up to at S.C.O.?
02:25Well, they're busy cropping out photos.
02:28Pakistan PMO posts pictures of S.C.O. leaders but edits out Prime Minister Modi from the image.
02:34Soon after, Shahbaz Sharif gets into damage control amid outrage, posts the full image after backlash.
02:45The Supreme Court directs to quash all FIRs against CJP protesters.
02:49Delhi cops can file fresh FIR against those with criminal antecedents.
02:54CJP, therefore, calls off September 5th protest.
02:57Government retreats.
02:58We will fulfill all demands.
03:06Vijay government's big water relief for Parched Tamil Nadu.
03:09Mehtur Dam gates opened by Vijay after 80-day delay.
03:14Finally, release of water in the Stanley Reservoir.
03:35And that's our top focus on Super 6.
03:38What played out in Salem earlier today?
03:40Chief Minister Vijay was there, opened up the dam gates of the Mehtur Dam.
03:44Huge relief for farmers in the Delta region.
03:47But this is something, this is a standard annual practice in Tamil Nadu.
03:52And it happens much earlier.
03:54It happens, in fact, a couple of months before now, before, in fact, September.
03:59Usually, you see it around June or July.
04:01So, after 80 days, you're seeing the step being taken.
04:05And that tells you how unprecedented the situation is in a rainfall-deficit state like Tamil Nadu currently.
04:11And add to that is the fact that Karnataka hasn't been releasing water.
04:14Now, finally, the Mehtur Dam gates have been opened.
04:18Yes, there have been a lot of viral talking points from the Chief Minister's visit to Salem,
04:22including his interaction with several of the villagers, which has got everyone talking.
04:27But beyond that, what really is the Tamil Nadu government going to do to address the fact that the state's
04:33farmers are struggling right now?
04:35We've seen a delay of 80 days.
04:37How much more will there be issues in getting Karnataka to release Kaveri water?
04:42We're going to talk about that.
04:43But first, details in our report.
04:57After an 80-day wait, Tamil Nadu's farmers are finally getting some release.
05:03Chief Minister Siv Vijay Joseph opened the Swiss gate of the Mehtur Dam,
05:07bringing much-needed water to the Kaveri Delta region.
05:11The gates were originally scheduled to be open on June 12.
05:16But inadequate water levels in the reservoir, coupled with delays in Karnataka's Kaveri water releases,
05:23forced farmers to wait nearly 80 days for water.
05:28But the release of water does not mark the end of the crisis.
05:33The current discharge from the dam may not be enough to sustain irrigation throughout the agricultural season.
05:41Continues inflows into the reservoir will now be crucial.
05:45That will depend on adequate Kaveri water releases from Karnataka and a strong northeast monsoon.
05:53Even as farmers celebrate the long-awaited release, politics is brewing in Tamil Nadu.
05:59Opposition parties have taken a dig at Chief Minister Vijay, questioning the delay in opening the dam.
06:07Water is needed for the farmers.
06:09It is not a government expenditure.
06:13which has to be passed to the assembly.
06:18Whatever quantum of water the farmer needs,
06:20it is for the government to release some water.
06:22How can they fix 45 days or 46 days?
06:42As a chief minister, he has all rights to go and inaugurate it to open the shutters for water flow.
06:49But when it is to be done, it is delayed already 45 days.
06:55They are only for posts and they are for only responsibilities, not for the farmers and not for the people.
07:02For now, the opening of the Metur gates have given Tamil Nadu's parched delta farmers a much-needed lifeline.
07:09But whether that relief lasts through the agricultural season will depend heavily on rainfall,
07:16reservoir inflows and Karnataka's Kaveri water releases.
07:21With Anaga Keshav, Bureau Report, India Today.
07:28That was the moment when the dam gates were opened.
07:31And right now, we are also seeing multiple images, videos that are being shared online on social media
07:37of Chief Minister Vijay meeting with elderly women in the village,
07:41of Chief Minister Vijay handing over his shades to, in fact, an elderly woman.
07:45All of that going viral.
07:47It has become a big talking point.
07:49But like I said, we want to put the focus on the issue of water,
07:52on the issue that farmers have to deal with.
07:55Joining me on this broadcast is Mr. Satya Kumar, TVK National Spokesperson.
07:59We've got Akshat Ram, political analyst, and Sumansi Raman, political analyst.
08:03Mr. Sumansi Raman, I'd like to begin with you.
08:05The reality is that while we've seen the Metur Dam gates being open finally today,
08:10it's after an 80-day delay.
08:12Yes, there are circumstances much beyond the government's control
08:15because there has been extremely deficit rainfall.
08:18But what do you make of the TVK government's handling of the situation so far, sir?
08:22And going forward, how much of a test this will be for Chief Minister Vijay?
08:28I don't see any handling of any situation.
08:31Because you see, there is no water this year.
08:33Water from Karnataka has not come to the extent that it should have come.
08:37And therefore, the opening of the dam, which normally happens in June,
08:40has been pushed off to September.
08:43And even now, the estimate is there is only about 35 to 40 days of water which can be given.
08:51What happens after that, unless there are more inflows from Karnataka, is open to question.
08:57So, there is a serious problem.
09:00You know, today's visit was purely a kind of a PR visit of sorts
09:07because I know that other chief ministers have also done the same thing
09:10and we have seen photographs every year the chief minister goes down to open the dam
09:14almost as if, you know, they are responsible for having got the water there.
09:20It's the nature and the God that has given the water or not given the water
09:24as the case may be in this year.
09:26So, anyway, I don't see any great handling of the situation.
09:31The matter is being taken up with the Kaveri Water Management Board.
09:34They have given certain orders.
09:36Karnataka is releasing some water, though obviously it is far from the required quantity.
09:42So, hopefully, if there is some element of rainfall over the next 20-25 days,
09:47maybe the situation will ease.
09:49But I spoke to some water managers, they tell me that there is only water for around 40 days
09:55because there is about 10 TMC feet which needs to be kept for at the base.
10:00You can't, you know, run the dam dry.
10:02And there is only about 53 odd TMC feet of storage.
10:06So, if you are going to consume at the rate of 1 TMC a day, you know,
10:11then you are left with effectively 35 to 40 days of water.
10:15After that, what happens is open to question.
10:17Farmers already have struggled.
10:18Mr. Satya Kumar, you know, we have seen a delay in opening the dam gates itself.
10:22And I will highlight what happened last year versus now.
10:25That usually you would see these dam gates being opened, you know, June, July.
10:30Those are the images on our screens of last year, then Chief Minister Stalin opening the gates.
10:36And then now in September.
10:38So, you see a huge delay there in the opening of these dam gates.
10:43You can only imagine how much farmers have been struggling.
10:45The question that Mr. Subhansi Raman has asked and many others do, Mr. Satya Kumar,
10:50is what's the plan going forward?
10:51If Karnataka refuses to release the water, what do you do?
10:54What does Tamil Nadu do?
10:56See, first thing is that we should not consider this as a delay because there are reasons beyond comprehension.
11:03Agreed.
11:03As we found the government.
11:04It's not completely, you know, it's not man-made.
11:06I agree that there are natural causes here that you have to address.
11:08So, there is an inadequate water in the dam.
11:11So, accordingly, opening up is not a deliberate attempt to delay.
11:16Point number one.
11:16Point number two, if Karnataka government is not releasing the water,
11:21we will invoke the provisions, rule of law.
11:23To see to that, we reach out to the courts and we get the right justice for the people of
11:28Tamil Nadu.
11:29So, in fact, Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Talabhati Vijay,
11:32wanted to have a dialogue with the CM of Karnataka in this matter.
11:37But at that point of time, nature favoured us and some water was released to Tamil Nadu.
11:41But we are not leaving this matter.
11:43We will definitely take up as per the due process if the Karnataka government is not releasing the water.
11:49Of course, I understand, Akshita, there is a delay from Karnataka side as well.
11:53That is the reason there is a delay in opening up this Mehto Dam as well.
11:57Because we were afraid if we opened the Mehto Dam in the June month and as we formed the government,
12:01later point of time, if there is no water, this will give an insecurity to the farmers.
12:04And, of course, there are issues beyond our control which we are trying to rectify at this point of time.
12:11I also appreciate the point of Mr. Sumansi Raman.
12:13We are not denying that fact.
12:14But one thing is very clear.
12:16It is not a deliberate attempt to delay.
12:17Point number one.
12:18Point number two, if further delay is going to happen, we are going to invoke the provisions of the law.
12:22We will ensure that the rule of law will be invoked to see to that the water, Tamil Nadu gets
12:27the right share of waters.
12:28But there has, Mr. Satya Kumar, so far already been a delay.
12:31And Karnataka continuously fights it legally, saying, you know, we are going to challenge every order that comes in from
12:36the tribunal.
12:36And so, there has been no implementation.
12:39See, Akshita, you know well, this matter has already been settled by the Supreme Court,
12:43where they have clearly said that the water should be released to the lower riparian states.
12:47And in fact, with respect to Meghadathu dam as well, they cannot construct the dam without the consensus of the
12:53lower riparian states.
12:55We all know all these facts.
12:56So, knowing all these facts, Karnataka is saying they will go to the court.
12:59I don't know what reason, what factor makes them to say this.
13:03But at the end of the day, the Supreme Court judgment is favoring Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu being a lower
13:08riparian states.
13:10Akshat Ram is also on this broadcast.
13:12Akshat, what do you make of what the TVK says?
13:13Look, you have to agree that it's been a year where there's been extremely poor rainfall in Tamil Nadu and
13:20in Karnataka.
13:21And this equation with Karnataka, fighting it out of the water is not new.
13:25It's something that's gone on for decades.
13:28At the outset, Akshat, firstly, thank you to you and to India today.
13:32This marks my debut on English Channel.
13:34And it feels very exciting, especially when I get to do it with almost my namesake.
13:39But I wish I was doing this on better circumstances.
13:42Let's put the facts straight out there.
13:45Four months as a chief minister since he took office.
13:48This is his first visit to Meitur.
13:5082 days late, June 12th to the September 1st.
13:54Nobody on this panel can spin that as good news for a farmer for whom the water he needed was
13:59in June.
14:00Today's opening is, at best, a good news that has arrived three months late.
14:05Let's be very clear.
14:06We are talking about June 12th being the opening date for the Kurovai sowing calendar.
14:12Today, it is September 1st, 82 days late.
14:15And we cannot now go to the farmers and say,
14:18Oh, we have now opened the water.
14:19And now you can start your plantation season.
14:21That's not how farming works.
14:22And that's not how agriculture works.
14:24Kurovai planting season has already crossed.
14:26We are now looking at the Samba cultivation season.
14:28Let's also be very clear.
14:30We are constantly saying that this water is now going to last 45 days,
14:33as Mr. Sumanthram said already, right?
14:36Even in that scenario, what happens on day 46?
14:40And can this government say for sure that the water will last for 45 days?
14:45Or are we going to come back here in October to have the same conversation?
14:48See, 51.3 to 52.3 TMC is what is needed across August, right?
14:57Against a full capacity of 93.47 TMC, which is what is needed.
15:00Now, the farmers are saying that even at the 45-day release period,
15:04you will need across 15,000 to 20,000 cults ex a day,
15:08which according to this government,
15:10they are only going to be able to do 12,000 cults ex a day.
15:13In the future, at the current, they are releasing 3,000 cults ex.
15:16What is 15,000? What is 3,000, right?
15:20Let's also be very clear that this whole argument and this whole conversation that we are having with the Karnataka
15:27government,
15:27I completely stand with the TVK government and so does every other opposition party.
15:32In the stance that the Karnataka government cannot dictate terms as to how the water will be released and when.
15:37There is a Supreme Court ruling on this.
15:39There are several Judicial Committee rulings on this.
15:42There is a CWMA's ruling on this.
15:44This has to be followed and the law has to be followed in this scenario.
15:48No, and that's the question.
15:50But Mr. Satyakumar, on the aspect that, you know, concerns have been raised,
15:54saying you're 40 days from now, what next?
15:57You know, yes, the legal fight will continue.
15:59And yes, you will also take this up, challenge Karnataka.
16:01But what's the immediate plan?
16:03What's the immediate solution, sir?
16:05The immediate solution, see to that, we actually communicate to the Karnataka chief minister
16:10and try to get the due share of our water, which doesn't seem to happen at this juncture.
16:14But as our Honorable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Talbadi Vijay, said,
16:18we will definitely have a dialogue with the Honorable Chief Minister of Karnataka.
16:23As we see, if we see that there's no improvement on it,
16:26definitely invoking the provisions and also the Supreme Court judgment
16:30is the only choice available to Tamil Nadu state.
16:33Because we try our diplomatic models, diplomacy, but if it doesn't work,
16:38then our obvious next step would be to invoke the provisions of the law.
16:41That is the Supreme Court judgment.
16:43So we'll have to file petitions to the Supreme Court
16:46and seek the help of the court and the court has to interfere in this matter.
16:49And we all know that the water justice needs to be provided for Tamil Nadu
16:53because that's the crux of the Supreme Court judgment.
16:56Akshat, quickly, yeah.
16:58Yes. Sir said that we will talk with the Karnataka government,
17:01we will go to the Supreme Court.
17:04What do the farmers do till then, right?
17:06Because we are constantly talking about,
17:08in a normal year, Akshita, everyone gets enough water
17:11and the dispute stays manageable, right?
17:13But the real test is in a deficit year like this.
17:15What is the enforceable mechanism when there isn't enough water?
17:19Does Karnataka release proportionally in distress year?
17:21How quickly can Tamil Nadu actually enforce these mechanisms?
17:25See, constantly the argument against the TVK government is this,
17:29that they are constantly being reactive,
17:31that they are not being proactive to these things.
17:32No, but they've also attempted to have dialogue,
17:36which we have not seen before,
17:37that, you know, you had an outreach to the Karnataka chief minister.
17:40Let's talk about dialogue.
17:42The Karnataka chief minister calls an all-party meeting
17:44on the Mekadatta issue months back.
17:46The chief minister of Tamil Nadu refuses to call one.
17:48What does he do instead?
17:49He instead decides to go on an all-NP party meeting.
17:53For what?
17:53For delimitation.
17:54A bill that is not even in the public forum yet.
17:56We are discussing delimitation here.
17:58What is the real concern of this government?
18:00Does this government,
18:01what does security should not be an area
18:03where Tamil Nadu is constantly debating
18:06and is constantly fighting with its chief minister?
18:09The chief minister should have a proactive,
18:10the water resource minister,
18:12the agriculture minister needs to have a proactive stance on this.
18:14Okay, I'll bring in Mr. Sumansi Raman
18:16before I give Mr. Satya Kumar a chance to respond.
18:19Mr. Sumansi Raman,
18:20you know, you did say that you haven't seen
18:21any clear strategy from the TVK government
18:24on addressing this issue.
18:25But like I highlighted earlier,
18:26you've seen an attempt at least,
18:28you know, that the chief minister has reached out
18:30to his Karnataka counterpart,
18:31which is great.
18:32Maybe dialogue is the way forward,
18:33which is maybe the solution.
18:36Look, he started with that attempt,
18:38which was a risky attempt,
18:40because had it backfired,
18:42everybody would have said that,
18:44you know, we should have gone the legal route
18:46instead of trying all these negotiations.
18:48But he started.
18:50Then at that point of time,
18:52there was a bit of a crisis,
18:53Karnataka, you know,
18:55some of the organizations threatened to agitate and so on.
18:58So DK has said, don't come.
18:59Now, that is now more than a month,
19:02month and a half ago.
19:03So what happened now?
19:04I mean, are we going to restart that dialogue?
19:07See, the best time to restart the dialogue
19:09actually is when there is some water available,
19:12not when there is absolutely no water
19:15on both sides,
19:16tempers are running high.
19:18So ideally, if, you know,
19:21Vijay reaches out to Mr. D.K. Shivkumar
19:25and tries to see if the talks can be initiated again,
19:28are we going to see that?
19:29Are we going to see going back to the tribunal
19:34and saying that you have to enforce
19:35the next set of orders?
19:37And at what stage does Karnataka actually stop?
19:40Because from whatever we know,
19:42they have been releasing some water,
19:44though whether it is complying entirely
19:47with the CWMA order,
19:48it is something that we don't know yet.
19:51It isn't.
19:51So now what is the government going to do?
19:54Are we going to approach the Supreme Court
19:55and ask for fair share?
19:57So there is no strategy.
19:59And at least, you know,
20:01nothing that has been explained
20:02in the public domain.
20:03So people are still waiting to see
20:05what Mr. Vijay is going to do.
20:08So today is just a ceremonial photo op.
20:10Beyond that, there is no value
20:12to what happened today.
20:13And that's, Mr. Satya Kumar, final word,
20:14that's the constant criticism that comes in.
20:17That, you know, optics-wise,
20:18you know, your viral reels,
20:20you have all of these social media moments.
20:22And as the opposition says,
20:24you know, it looks like a film shoot.
20:25Nothing beyond that.
20:28It's not like that, Akshita.
20:29In fact, the attention is on the leader.
20:32So everybody looks at what he is doing.
20:34And this has been the moments of opening a dam
20:37was captured even during the DMK government.
20:40So it's not an exception.
20:42So considering it,
20:44the only issue that now strategically
20:46our Honorable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,
20:47Talabadi Vijay,
20:48is looking at how to get the due share from Karnataka.
20:52So we are not taking excuse to say
20:54that we are a new government.
20:55So we are placing strategies to see
20:57that we get the due share of water.
20:59And this delay will definitely cause
21:01some loss to the farmers,
21:02for which we are also trying our best
21:05to get the water from Karnataka.
21:07So it's not that we don't have strategy.
21:09We do have a strategy.
21:11We are placing our strategy
21:12where we are looking at models of legal approach
21:16as well as the diplomatic route.
21:19What will work in the days to come,
21:21we have to see.
21:22And I see a very rare trend in Karnataka
21:25wherein after Sidharamaya's government,
21:27I thought D.K. Shokumar will do a fair justice to Tamil Nadu.
21:32But he seems to be not releasing the water.
21:35And definitely our leader.
21:36I don't think it's fair to blame Karnataka as well.
21:39You know, honestly, they're struggling too.
21:41They also don't have water.
21:42They don't have water.
21:43We are not blaming Karnataka.
21:44And D.K. Shokumar will watch out
21:46for his state's interests as well,
21:48as Chief Minister Vijay will for Tamil Nadu.
21:51So I think at this point,
21:53unfortunately, the reality is
21:54that both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are struggling.
21:57And in the course of that,
21:58you're seeing essentially no water for both states.
22:02Yes, it's a legal fight.
22:03So legally, Karnataka does have to release that water to Tamil Nadu.
22:07Will it happen is the question.
22:08Thank you, gentlemen, for joining me on this broadcast.
22:10Mr. Sumansi Raman, Akshat Ram and Satya Kumar.
22:15Now, every year, thousands of TMC of Godavari water
22:18flows into the Bay of Bengal.
22:20At the same time, and this is a problem
22:23not just in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka.
22:24Farmers in Rhyal Seema, in parts of Karnataka,
22:27in southern Tamil Nadu,
22:28they continue to battle recurring water shortages.
22:31Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu
22:34therefore wants to change that.
22:35His solution, link the Godavari to the Kaveri.
22:39Listen in to what Chandrababu Naidu suggested even yesterday.
23:10He said,
23:40Krishna, Vamsidhara, Godavari, Nadula, Nusandha, Nandja, Sam, Bavishat, Loh, Godavari, Kaveri, Guda, Nusandha, Nandja, Desa, Moton, Dachana, Barat, Desa, Loh,
23:53Neeti, Samasana, Parishkar, Nandja, Sam.
23:58So what exactly is Chief Minister Naidu suggesting?
24:02He wants surplus Godavari water to be put to use, productive use,
24:07and has called for the Godavari-Kaveri link to be declared as a national project.
24:12Link these two rivers, he says, it won't just address Andhra's issues, but also Tamil Nadu's, Karnataka's issues.
24:19Now, broad idea here is simple.
24:20Take surplus water from the Godavari, move it southwards to water-stressed regions.
24:26What would that route look like?
24:28We've shown that for you.
24:29Naidu's preferred Andhra Pradesh route begins at Pullavarum.
24:32From there, the water would move through the Prakasam Barrage to Bolapalli, Banakacherla and Sumasila
24:38before eventually reaching the Kaveri.
24:40So it flows right into the Kaveri.
24:42So you have all the excess water flowing into the Kaveri and therefore the rivers are interlinked.
24:48Chief Minister Naidu's call for Andhra Pradesh's existing Godavari water rights
24:51to be legally protected under alternative supplies are guaranteed.
24:56But this is also part of a bigger vision for the Andhra Chief Minister.
24:59He's also suggested a Ganga-Kaveri link.
25:03This whole suggestion of linking rivers, particularly Godavari and Kaveri, is not new.
25:10The Centre's National River Linking Project has explored a multi-state surplus water transfer
25:16route for decades.
25:17And under the Centre's proposal, the link would begin at Intyampalli.
25:20This will be in Telangana.
25:22It will move on to the Krishna through the Nagarjuna Sagar and then to Sumasila on the Pennar.
25:27And finally, it will reach, in fact, to the Kaveri in Tamil Nadu.
25:33Now, this is something that the Andhra Chief Minister has repeatedly spoken of.
25:37He's had a history, honestly, with river linking.
25:40In 2015, earlier tenure as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister,
25:44the Pati-Seema project linked the Godavari and Krishna rivers.
25:47His renewed push for larger river linking projects has now brought the Godavari-Kaveri proposal
25:52back into focus.
25:54How much water, then, are we talking about?
25:57Can this actually address some of the crises in states?
26:00Well, scaled-down versions of the proposal envisaged transferring roughly 140 to 150 TMCO water annually.
26:07The projected benefits include irrigation across several lakh hectares,
26:11drinking water for millions and potential hydropower generation.
26:14There is a big price tag running into tens of thousands of crores.
26:19So why does Naidu want this project?
26:21Because he says surplus water flowing into the sea is a waste
26:26because there are so many drought-prone regions that are struggling for water.
26:29And this link, according to the Andhra Chief Minister,
26:32could strengthen drought resilience, support farmers,
26:35and improve water security across South India.
26:38There is, of course, politics involved.
26:40Each state has different interests.
26:42Tamil Nadu wants additional water for its drought-prone regions
26:46and insists that any new supply cannot come at the expense
26:48of its existing Cauvery water rights.
26:51Telangana has raised reservations over this proposed diversion point,
26:55saying that it will hit its own water requirements.
26:58Karnataka is also seeking a larger share,
27:01arguing that its existing allocations are limited upstream states.
27:04This isn't just about Karnataka, Andhra, Telangana.
27:07Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Arashtra,
27:09they've all questioned whether the Godavari has genuinely got surplus water
27:12once their future requirements are factored in.
27:15The centre right now is pushing for consultations on this
27:19and circulating project reports and draft agreements.
27:22But at this point, it looks hard to get a consensus.
27:26Can a mega-river-linking project actually deliver water promises?
27:30States are hesitant.
27:31There's no drinking water for water-scarced regions.
27:35There's a question of better utilization of monsoon surplus
27:37and potentially flood moderation and groundwater recharge.
27:40But there are also serious challenges.
27:43Climate change could alter rainfall patterns in so-called surplus basins.
27:47Long-distance transfers could involve significant losses.
27:51And altering natural river flows could affect deltas, fisheries,
27:55biodiversity and sediment movement.
27:58All of this, in fact, is at this point leading to questions
28:03about whether river linking will actually happen.
28:05The Godavari-Kaveri link remains far from a done deal.
28:08There's no final agreement among all the concerned states.
28:11The centre is pushing.
28:12But this, at this point, is something that you've got
28:16the Andhra chief minister pushing for big time.
28:24Let's move on and get you the big story coming in from Karnataka,
28:27where the BJP and JDS are upping the ante against the DKS government.
28:31You saw just last week, Minister Nagendra stepping down over allegations of the Walmiki scam.
28:38Now, the NDA is raising alleged KPSC recruitment irregularities
28:44and held a padayatra in Bengaluru over the same.
28:47Here's a ground report.
28:53Karnataka's political pot is boiling.
28:56The latest flashpoint, government jobs.
28:59The BJP and JDS have joined forces to turn up the heat on the DK Shivakumar government
29:04over alleged Karnataka Public Service Commission recruitment irregularities.
29:10JDS workers hit the streets on Tuesday,
29:12raising the slogan to lay siege to Karnataka Congress's headquarters.
29:19But before they could reach the Congress office,
29:21they were detained by the cops.
29:29They have been detained right before the KPCC office.
29:32And the demand is that ensure Priyank Kargay resigns
29:36from the KPSC irregularities when he was the RDPR minister.
29:41You can see the placards also that the JDS workers are holding.
29:46They are saying, Rahul Gandhi, where are you?
29:48Go check KPSC irregularities, is what the posters are saying.
29:55Union minister and JDS leader H.T. Kumar Sami's charge is explosive.
29:59He claims that money was allegedly being collected
30:01in the name of government appointments.
30:08Rahul Ji, please come to Karnataka.
30:11What is going on?
30:13They will give good experience to you
30:15in your Congress Party's government in Karnataka.
30:22In the name of appointment,
30:26how you can collect huge money.
30:31State Home Minister Priyank Kargay fired back,
30:34daring the JDS to prove the allegations.
30:37He even said that he would resign
30:38if the charges were established.
30:41Let him show even one shred of evidence.
30:44I am ready to resign.
30:45Will he also resign?
30:46Now that it's already proved
30:49that his coalition partners are hand in glove.
30:54The BJP has also taken the fight to the streets
30:57against the Congress government,
30:58launching a 10-day, 200-kilometer padhyatra
31:01from Raichu to Balari.
31:04The BJP is targeting the Congress government
31:06over the alleged 187-crore Valmiki cooperation scam,
31:10KPSC recruitment irregularities,
31:12SCST fund diversion,
31:13and other governance issues.
31:18Why the youths have been hitting the streets?
31:21The same Congress Party has assured.
31:24Once Congress Party comes to power,
31:26they will appoint,
31:26fill all the 2.4 lakh vacancies.
31:29Where is your promise, Mr. D.K. Shukumar?
31:32Chief Minister Shiv Kumar welcomed the BJP's padhyatra,
31:35saying we are ready to reply.
31:57The war over government jobs
31:59has now spilled on to Karnataka streets,
32:01and there's no sign of the political heat cooling down.
32:04With Nagarjuna or Karnath in Bengaluru,
32:06and Sagai Raj in Raichur,
32:08Bureau Report, India Today.
32:12Let's get to the latest updates coming in from Nepal.
32:15A week on, unfortunately,
32:18the death toll, the number missing,
32:20continues to go up.
32:221,003 deaths have been confirmed.
32:26As far as Indians, Indian nationals,
32:28who have been missing there,
32:29187 have been rescued so far.
32:32Unfortunately, hundreds still remain untraceable.
32:35A family survived inside a house
32:39as raging floodwaters swept through the region.
32:42That video went viral
32:44as the family, desperate for help,
32:47looked all around them,
32:48had no way of getting out of the mess,
32:50but their house stood solid.
32:52And that meant that all of them
32:54came out of the deluge alive.
32:56India Today's Ashutosh Mishra
32:58brings us this special report from Trishuli,
33:00from that very house
33:01that stood against the fury of nature.
33:20A disaster of staggering proportions.
33:24Homes buried under mud and debris.
33:30Vehicles swept away.
33:33Roads destroyed.
33:36Entire communities cut off.
33:40Nearly 1,000 people have been killed in the disaster,
33:43while around 4,000 remain missing.
33:47And the search for survivors continues.
33:52Nepalese rescuers are leaving no stone unturned.
33:57But amid this unprecedented devastation,
34:01there are stories that offer a glimmer of hope.
34:07This turquoise green house in Trishuli stands almost untouched.
34:16While raging flash floods swallowed everything around it.
34:23On August 26th, the floodwaters surged through the region.
34:31But this house stood.
34:34And so did the family inside.
34:40Lakshmi Pandey says the family feared the worst.
34:43She recalls chanting prayers,
34:45worried that her school-going son could be left alone.
34:49An orphan.
35:16Inside the house, the family stayed together.
35:18Waiting for the fury outside to pass,
35:21her husband, Prakash Pyakurel, remembers thinking.
35:25We were crying, but now we will not live.
35:28This is the last day.
35:30And the time we have to sit with the family,
35:34we all sit together together.
35:35The time we have to stay,
35:37this is the last minute.
35:40This was the last day.
35:43But the family survived.
35:45Wife Lakshmi says the family has been reborn.
36:05Her mother, daughter, in-laws, husband and neighbour all survived.
36:13A house that became a shelter from nature's fury.
36:17A family that found safety.
36:20While the world outside was being washed away.
36:25Was it a miracle?
36:27Or was it the house's location and topography that saved it?
36:32India Today's Ashitosh Mishra investigates from Ground Zero.
36:46It was the last day.
37:14Amid the devastation left behind by the Nepal floods,
37:17this house has become a symbol of survival.
37:21While the raging waters destroyed everything around it,
37:24this structure remained standing,
37:26giving this family a chance to live through what they believed were their final moments.
37:34For those still waiting for their loved ones,
37:38every excavator movement brings hope.
37:43Every tunnel cleared brings a possibility,
37:47and every survivor found is a victory against one of Nepal's worst disasters.
37:54In the middle of the devastation, one turquoise house still stands,
37:59a house that sheltered a family,
38:01and a story of survival amid Nepal's nightmare.
38:07With Ashutosh Bishra from Trisholi in Nepal,
38:11Bureau Report, India Today.
38:17And amid Nepal's devastating floods, a heartbreaking story of loss,
38:22and we've seen so many of these emerging this time,
38:25not just of homes and families, but of the bonds left behind.
38:29In Dungay, you had a dog named Lily,
38:32who refuses to leave the ruins of her forever home,
38:36her former home,
38:37still waiting for the man who used to feed her.
38:40At this point, he remains missing.
38:42She continues to stay in that particular area,
38:45waiting to hear from him,
38:47waiting for him to come and feed her.
38:49Her wait has become a haunting symbol of Nepal's devastation
38:53and all that the country has lost.
38:55I'm leaving you with this report by Ashutosh Mishra.
38:59The scale of devastation in Nepal,
39:02death toll mounting nearly thousand,
39:04thousands are missing.
39:05There are people rescue agencies
39:07who are looking for every possible survivor
39:09and even those are missing.
39:10And in this one of the devastative such calamity,
39:13we also see one of the worst humanitarian crisis.
39:16Lily for past five days is looking for someone.
39:19These two children who have grown up with Lily
39:21when she was a puppy.
39:23And now she has been absolutely calm.
39:26She has been looking for someone.
39:27There was a hotel where she used to live in the evening.
39:29There were people who were feeding her.
39:31And now other than these two children,
39:33for the last four to five days,
39:35she's just roaming around in certain limited pocket,
39:37perhaps looking for someone,
39:39the loved ones who she has seen around,
39:44grown up with them.
39:44And you know the pets,
39:46when we say that the most loyal pets on the earth
39:49and someone she grew with,
39:51you know, people who care of feeding
39:54and now they have gone missing.
39:56Many of those people in the Dunga Bazaar
39:58after this devastation have left this pocket.
40:00And now Lily is looking for the people
40:03who have always loved.
40:05It's a calamity and at the same time,
40:07it's a crisis, humanitarian crisis.