In times of scarcity and shortage, distinctions between need and greed mean little. Following a deficit southwest monsoon this year, Karnataka has been reluctant to share the Cauvery with its lower riparian neighbour Tamil Nadu, choosing instead to retain the river’s waters in its small and major reservoirs. When the monsoon fails, neither State can possibly satisfy its irrigation and drinking water requirements from the Cauvery’s flows. It is nobody’s case that Karnataka is building up a huge surplus by damming the water, but the burden of a deficit year will have to be shared equally. By agreeing before the Supreme Court to release 10,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu till September 19 — when the Cauvery River Authority, headed by the Prime Minister, meets to decide the issue — Karnataka has indicated a readiness to arrive at an understanding with Tamil Nadu on a just sharing of the water. Tamil Nadu had sought two TMC ft (thousand million cubic feet) of water for irrigation in the Cauvery delta, and Karnataka’s undertaking before the court means the State will get less than half of what it wanted. The undertaking, as a sort of minimum guarantee, will be the starting point for the talks in the CRA, and Tamil Nadu can hope for a reasonable coverage of the long-term samba crop. With the southwest monsoon playing truant, the State has already lost the short-term kuruvai crop.
What is most disquieting about the Cauvery dispute that arises every season is the failure of the Centre and the two States to bring about an acceptable solution. Each time, it takes the intervention of the Supreme Court to force a compromise. Little wonder then, one of the judges in the Supreme Court Bench hearing the issue felt compelled to express displeasure at the failure of the Prime Minister’s Office to hold a meeting of the CRA. Instead of fixing a date taking into consideration the urgency of the issue, PMO officials spent time seeking convenient dates from the Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. The PMO seems to require constant prodding from the Supreme Court before it convenes the CRA. Clearly, the mechanism established for the heads of government to strive for a solution to the Cauvery water issue during deficit years is not working. The CRA is required to arrive at a pro rata sharing of the water among the Cauvery basin States under a distress-sharing formula. But the Centre — driven by the political compulsions of the government of the day — prefers not to take the lead in thrashing out a solution for fear of being seen taking sides.
Keywords: Cauvery dispute, Cauvery River Authority, Supreme Court
I attended an International Meet on Climate Change and its impact on water resources organized by the Water Institute,Karunya University,Coimbatore.Water in excess(flood) and in deficit(drought)are matters of dispute among households,groupfarming sites,regions,states and countries.Conservation of water for drought periods and managing floods by river connectivity and ground/underground storage was discussed.Forests play a major role in water conservation.What we are witnessing is politics of water when centre and states are ruled by different governments at loggerheads.Ultimately Supreme Court of India, the guardian of Constitution has to arbitrate.All the states depend on one another for food and horticulture items and all these require water to grow.It is only greed which creates problem.Nature has abundantly blessed India with water.
The decision of karnantka government is really appreciable.Moreover
this cauvery controversy persists every year,therefore both the states
must sit together in order to find a middle way path.Rather than
conflicting each time whenever monsoon fails and waiting for the centre
to intervene is not the correct way to tackle this problem,instead the
center also awaits the decisions of supreme court.As a result of this
common man suffers.
Its disheartening to learn that Karnataka is creating an issue over natural resource which is quintessential for survival. Such petty issues should not come into light, rather solved amicably.
The supreme court should order opening of all dam shutters whenever
there is a water dispute. Allow natural flow of water which is the real
natural status quo. This will put all the states in a level playing
field. Presently in all water disputes Karnataka gains an upperhand and
leaving the down stream states at its mercy.
Its great decision by Karnataka government. Tamil Nadu has demanded 2
TMC and Karnataka is giving 10k quesecs . We need such cooperation based
development model for enhancing integrity in nation.
I take this differently. It is good that someone is treating you unjustly, because I will get stronger out of it. Similarly Tamil Nadu is being treated unjustly hence it will devise a new and innovative plan to generate or conserve enough water resources. I think Tamil Nadu is one of the very few states in India where almost all the houses have a rain water harvesting system. Rainfall is collected and conserved and used in times of need. I think it should be made compulsory for every new construction activity all over the country, as in the future I see a war over water.
Natural resources of a country like river water should be shared in such a way that they do not benefit only one or a selected few, to the detriment of the rest. All the reparian states should derive more or less equal benefit. It is common knowledge that during floods, the state where the river originates cannot afford to keep the entire water for itself. Un-asked for, the surplus water will be released to avoid flooding. During lean seasons too, when the storage is not that good, the principle of sharing with the reparian states should not be abandoned. Abject poverty and astonishing affluence cannot co-exist in a country. Like that one state cannot be allowed to be draught-stricken when the other one flourishes merely becaus of its lucky location. Evey part belongs to India and all are Indians. Sharing such resources with others in a reasonable way will easily solve most of the prevailing inter-state problems.
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