The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Tuesday assured an all-party delegation from Tamil Nadu that a fair solution would be found to the Cauvery dispute.
"It is essential that we reach a suitable settlement acceptable to all. It is necessary that distress is shared equitably so that no specific region suffers excessively, " Dr Singh told the delegation, which requested him to direct the Karnataka government to release water to Tamil Nadu as per the interim award of the Cauvery Tribunal.
"The rain god has been kind this year and owing to an early monsoon and heavier than expected rainfall, it is likely that we may not face a situation of distress this year," he said.
Dr Singh said he was discussing the matter on "priority" with the concerned governments and assured that he would listen all points of view in the Cauvery basin, both in Karnataka and in Tamil Nadu, so that a "fair solution acceptable to all may be evolved", according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.
Showing a rare unanimity, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led delegation to demand immediate release of water by Karnataka to Tamil Nadu.
The delegation, comprising all central ministers belonging to the DMK, Congress and Pattali Makkal Katchi and MPs from Tamil Nadu, apprised the PM of the need for emergency supply of water by Karnataka to enable the Tamil Nadu government to open the Mettur dam for cultivation of summer crops.
In a memorandum, the delegation drew the PM's attention to the non-implementation of the tribunal award by Karnataka "even once".