Jagadish Shettar walks out of the Cauvery River Authority meeting
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Wednesday said she was “totally disappointed” at the outcome of the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) meeting held here as an “adamant” Karnataka even refused to accept the ruling of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is also the Chairman of the CRA, asking Karnataka to release 9000 cusecs of water from September 20 to October 15 to Tamil Nadu.
“As Karnataka flatly refused to accept the ruling of the CRA Chairman, I registered my protest with the Prime Minister and we will again approach the Supreme Court on the issue,” said Ms. Jayalalithaa to journalists after attending the CRA meeting.
Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said Karnataka walked out of the meeting protesting Dr. Singh’s ruling asking the State to release 9000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said Tamil Nadu had sought a bare minimum of water to save the standing Samba (paddy) crops on 15 lakh acres in the Cauvery delta. Initially, Tamil Nadu wanted Karnataka to release at least 2 TMC ft of water per day for 24 days. “This was not accepted.”
Since North-East monsoon was expected in Tamil Nadu during the second or third week of October, to tide over the crisis till then, the State demanded a bare minimum of at least 1 TMC ft of water per day for 30 days. “Even this was not accepted by Karnataka.”
As no consensus emerged in the meeting, Dr. Singh gave his ruling asking Karnataka to release 9000 cusecs of water. But throughout the meeting Karnataka was refusing to release water to Tamil Nadu, she said.
Mr. Shettar said the State had in detail explained the crisis faced by Karnataka due to inadequate monsoon. The Karnataka Chief Minister said he had also convened a meeting of all-party leaders at Bangalore on September 21 to discuss the developments in CRA.
Earlier accusing Karnataka of having depleted the reservoirs during the summer months, she said Tamil Nadu was made to suffer as it was a low riparian state.
During the current year, till September 15, Tamil Nadu should have received 122.32 TMC ft of water at Mettur dam, as per the Interim Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, whereas, it received 19.40 TMC ft.
Lost Kuruvai
Consequently, the entire Kuruvai cultivation was thrown into disarray. Assuming that Karnataka was in distress, Tamil Nadu should have received an additional 48.50 TMC ft of water as per the Distress Sharing Formula.
Mentioning water was released from Mettur dam last Monday to enable farmers to raise at least one single Samba Crop, in spite of insufficient storage, she said “the current situation is extremely critical. Mettur Dam has storage of about 45 TMC ft of water which is barely sufficient for 30 days, whereas the main reservoirs in Karnataka have about 80 per cent of their total gross capacity. If the North-East monsoon plays truant as did the south west monsoon, the entire hopes and aspirations of the Delta farmers will be dashed.”
The Chief Minister said Karnataka was neither honouring the interim order nor the final order in toto and was harping on the purported final order selectively.
She warned that the failure of the Karnataka government to release stipulated flow of water immediately to save the samba crop in the Cauvery basin would lead to a food crisis in Tamil Nadu.
Keywords: Cauvery River Authority, Tamil Nadu-Karnataka water dispute, water sharing issue, Jayalailthaa reaction
Another comment is a spirited and emotional argument about how Bangalore is suffering from water scarcity. The counter argument is simple; That is why there is a "distress" sharing formula. The levels demanded by TN is not the one that one would get during a surplus rainfall.
As two states under the same country, we have the right to share the surpluses and a duty to share the deficits.
Let arguments be based on rational thinking than emotional reactions.
Thanks.
Instead of fighting this out year after year, let TN, effectively plan
water harvesting and use such waters irrigation and other purpose.
Time spent on fighting is no use.
Once we properly save water and harvest can reduce the reliance of
Cauvery.
for people of Bangalore are getting their drinking water over a week for a time of 1 hour.when we only dont have water to drink how can we allow to tamilnadu,when there is no rain in cauvery basin,from where shall we people of karnataka give water to tamilnadu.
It's high time for Tamilnadu to find some good alternatives to this water crises. It must and should construct several ponds and large lakes throughout the en-route of River Kaveri to store the surplus water during heavy rains and discharge from dams. I feel pity for Tamil nadu state govt for not using the today's modern machinery to construct such time tested projects but wasting time with Karnataka.
Linking most of the rivers of the country for best use of the available
water may be the only lasting solution.The idea may be revived and
concrete action plan worked out
The root of the problem lies in the misunderstanding in the karnataka people's minds. The belief that the river belongs only to the people where the river originates is wrong. River belongs to the people on the banks - origin to meeting the sea. Let us hypothetically take a case where Karnataka does not want to rely on Tamilnadu path of the river and would like to change the path to its land. That is not acceptable because the river property was natural and was shared from time immemorial. The only way now is to continue to be shared owners. The politicians of Karnataka have to communicate this to their people without risking their election prospects.
This is one opportunity as well as the other dispute over the Mullai periyar that makes a good case for all the rivers in the nation to be made national assets and dealt with on an All- India basis for the total betterment of farming of the whole country. Apart from creating ill-will between farmers in various parts of the country these riparian disputes have become a handle for these unscruplous politicians to create space for themselves. and a waste of time and money for all.
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