Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti in Delhi on Thursday to explain the state's difficulty in complying with the Supreme Court order to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water for six days to Tamil Nadu, calling the judgment unfair. "We told her it is difficult for us to release the quantum of water as per the Supreme Court order. We have already given 12,000 cusecs of water per day for 14 days as directed," Siddaramaiah said.

He also apprised Bharti of the low water levels in the state's four reservoirs and on how Karnataka was struggling to meets its drinking water needs after facing a drought for two years. "We have only 24 TMC [thousand million cubic feet] of water in four dams...We require 27 TMC of water [for Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya and nearby regions]," he said, adding that they were facing issues in supplying water for livestock and other animals, as well, PTI reported.

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Siddaramaiah's meeting with Bharti comes amid news that Tamil Nadu is considering filing a contempt petition against Karnataka for deferring the release of Cauvery water as directed by the top court. "Discussions are on. The petition might be filed on Friday itself," a senior government official told The Times of India. Tamil Nadu has been releasing around 12,000 cusecs a day from the Mettur Dam since September 20 so farmers can cultivate their paddy crop in 14.9 lakh acres in eight districts. The level at Mettur Dam stood at 86.94 ft on Thursday, while its full level is 120 ft.

A special session of both Houses of Karnataka will be held on Friday to decide on the Supreme Court's order to the state to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu. Siddaramaiah had also reiterated that Tamil Nadu's irrigation needs were being given precedence over Karnataka's drinking water demands even though the Mettur reservoir had ample in storage, PTI reported.