NEW DELHI (TIP): As a meeting convened by the Centre on the Cauvery issue failed to achieve any breakthrough, Union water resources minister Uma Bharti again appealed to both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for peace on the water sharing issue and said she may go on a hunger strike on the border of the two riparian states if there is any report of a fight between them.

“I am ready to sit on hunger strike, if required, to maintain peace in both the states,” said Bharti after the marathon meeting that lasted for four hours. The attempt to resolve the deadlock in the meeting chaired by her failed with Tamil Nadu refusing to accept Karnataka’s proposal that an expert committee be sent to the river basin to assess water availability. Karnataka wants such visits to assess the ground situation before it releases water to Tamil Nadu as directed by the Supreme Court.

Chief minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah and PWD minister of Tamil Nadu E K Palaniswamy along with senior officials of respective state governments attended the meeting. It was convened as per the direction of the Supreme Court. Bharti said delegation from both the states presented their views on the Cauvery water dispute. “I have noted the views expressed by both the states, which will be conveyed to the Supreme Court through the attorney general of India,” she said.