This refers to the article, “Future of peace rests on water availability” (September 17) by Hiranmay Karlekar. The Cauvery water crisis should have been resolved when the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal delivered its award. Water will be the cause of battle in the near future. Unintended consequences of inter-connecting all rivers in the country have not been properly studied. Canalisation of river waters and passing them over to neighbouring States is creating more problems.
It is unfortunate that we continue to depend upon rains for our water needs. Only tiny efforts have been made to provide water in the required quantity. Most of the irrigation facilities are privately-owned lift irrigation systems, which are confined to small patches. We cannot just weigh electoral advantages and act unfairly. Our policymakers must think twice before taking such decisions. There should be a team of experts, consisting of agriculture experts, engineers, farmers, meteorologists, from both sides, to come at a workable solution.