The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA)’s meeting, slated for Friday (June 25), is taking place coincidentally on the day the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) delivered its interim award 30 years ago.
The interim award had larger significance than being a mere response to Tamil Nadu’s request for immediate relief then. For the first time in the country, a river water disputes tribunal gave an interim award which was, in turn, facilitated by a verdict of the Supreme Court. But, there prevailed a period of tension for about six months between the two major riparian States of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Since June 1991, Tamil Nadu realised, in 19 out of 30 water years, more than its share of water as stipulated by the tribunal and later, the Supreme Court.
On an average, annually, the State received about 260 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft). Its share was determined as 205 tmc ft in the interim award; 192 tmc ft in the final award (2007) and 177.25 tmc ft by the Supreme Court (2018).
Since 2013, the Billigindulu gauging station replaced the Mettur dam as the reference point for measuring water realisation by Tamil Nadu.
Of the quantity realised every year, a little less than 150 tmc ft was reaslied by Tamil Nadu during June-September (southwest monsoon). However, this was skewed by poor receipts in the first two months of water year (June and July). In all the 30 years, only on seven occasions in June and on eight in July, Tamil Nadu got more than the stipulated quantum of water. This had prompted the State to lodge its protest several times about the efficacy of the implementation mechanism.
Today’s meeting is expected to discuss issues of immediate concern and discuss the rainfall pattern of the southwest monsoon in the last one month and the outlook for the coming weeks, Tamil Nadu is prepared to give a fitting reply if Karnataka raises the Mekedatu project issue. According to Tamil Nadu, there is no need for a dam in Mekedatu as this will “adversely affect” its rights and the Centre should reject the project proposal.
