Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are again fighting over the Cauvery. But they aren’t the only ones in water-sharing disputes with neighbours
The Cauvery water dispute has once again popped up. It arises whenever there is water scarcity to meet the demands of both the upper and lower riparian States — Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In the last two decades or so, the Supreme Court and the Cauvery River Authority have intervened on several occasions — in 1991, 2002, 2012 and now.
The latest provocation for the unrest follows the Supreme Court order directing Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs water over the next 10 days to meet the demands of the Tamil Nadu farmers for growing the summer Kuruvai crops this year. According to the award of the Cauvery Tribunal in 2007, Karnataka should release 192 TMC feet of water to Tamil Nadu. But that is in a good year and the problems start when the rains fail.
The water sharing has always been a headache to upper and lower riparian settlements along a river anywhere. Almost all the major rivers of the country are inter-state rivers and their waters are shared by two or more States. For instance, there is the face-off between Punjab and Haryana over sharing of Satluj-Yamuna water. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are fighting over the Krishna and Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Pondicherry over the Cauvery. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh too have disputes about Krishna and Godavari water sharing.
The battle for Cauvery dates back to the colonial days. The Cauvery River, which originates from the Western Ghats, covers about 800 km.s Of this 320 kms is in Karnataka, 416 kms in Tami Nadu, and 64 kms forms the common boundary. The dispute was resolved when the Mysore Princely State and the Madras Presidency reached an agreement in 1924 effective for 50 years. When it ran out there were fresh problems and the Cauvery tribunal was set up in 1990. The tribunal in 2007 gave 419 tmc ft for Tamil Nadu and 270 tmc ft for Karnataka. Kerala was awarded 30 tmc ft and Puducherry 7 tmc ft. Both Governments challenged it in Supreme Court.
One of the reason for gorwing conflict is the rise in population. The demand has also increased with water intensive agriculture. While in 1991, about 50 lakh people were dependent on Cauvery for drinking water needs but it has gone up to more than three crores today.
Also, politicians have used the water issue to stoke passiions for their political ends. The Congress and the BJP have a significant presence in Karnataka but are marginal players in Tamil Nadu. This is why the leadership of these two parties tilts towards Karnataka.
At the State level, water has become a political issue to the powerful Vokkalinga community in Karnataka. While they raised no objection to the 1924 agreement, the opposition started in the Vokkalinga belt including Mandya targeting the non-Vokkalinga Governments after 1974. In 2002, during the Vajpayee regime, Karnataka Chief minister SM Krishna undertook a 100km padayatra from Bengaluru to Mandya , his home constituency.
In the present crisis, the ruling Congress is on the back foot. The original game-plan was to blame the BJP for its inability to rein in Tamil Nadu Government. Some sections opposed the release of water but wiser counsel prevailed and Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah was advised not to take on the Supreme Court. So he released the water which has raised revolt in the Cauvery belt.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and the DMK chief Karunanidhi play politics over Cauvery, as they have been doing all along. Jayalalaithaa sat on an 80 hour long strike in 1993 and ended it only after the then Prime Minister Rao assured her of a solution.
Another problem is that though the tribunals have pronounced their awards they have not indicated a formula as to how the water should be shared in distress. As per the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s final order in 2007, Tamil Nadu should have received 94 tmc during June-August this year, but the yield at Mettur is only 33 tmc. The Centre’s failure to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board as suggested the Cauvery River Water Dispute Tribunal is another issue.
The solution lies in a permanent tribunal for resolving inter-State water disputes. The Centre should constitue the Cauvery Managmeent Board. Tamil Nadu should build more water storage and Karnataka should release maximum water during water shortage. Farmers should also be adivsed to opt for alternate crops.