This refers to the article, “Karnataka decides not to release water till Sept. 23” (Sept. 22.) That the Karnataka Cabinet has decided not to implement the SC’s directive sets a dangerous precedent. Confrontation with the highest judicial authority is not at all a healthy trend in a democratic country. The Karnataka government should explore other legal steps instead of disobeying the apex court’s order.
R. Sekar,
Visakhapatnam
Judicial intervention in the Cauvery dispute has only aggravated the issue of sharing water from a dwindling reservoir. This is mainly because of the failure of the monsoons in the catchment area of the Cauvery. Hopefully the setting up of a Cauvery Management Board will help us adopt a more scientific approach to the issue. What is important is the need to appreciate that rainfall patterns are changing and water supply in the Cauvery basin is declining. As the editorial stated, there is an urgent need to both conserve water and change the crop patterns based on availability and not on traditional or historical precedents.
H.N. Ramakrishna,
Bengaluru
The Karnataka government’s direct challenge to the authority of the highest court may send wrong signals to other areas of conflict. This obdurate tendency will undoubtedly encourage unrest. The executive is bound to obey the dictates of the judiciary. It cannot afford to distance itself from the judiciary. Such a possibility may force the judiciary to resort to extreme steps to ensure implementation of its orders. This will, in turn, lead to further acrimony.
If the Karnataka government feels that the Supreme Court’s fiat need not be obeyed, it runs the risk of exposing itself to graver situations. There is the possibility of dismissal of the existing government and ordering President’s rule.
V. Lakshmanan,
Tirupur
