The Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is once again simmering after the MK Stalin-led government adopted a resolution on Tuesday that urged the Cauvery Water Management Authority to direct the Karnataka government to release water in Cauvery.
A meeting of all political parties in Chennai on Tuesday adopted another resolution that condemned the Karnataka government over refusing to release water in Cauvery due to Tamil Nadu.
Chief minister MK Stalin, who read out the resolutions adopted during the meeting, assured all stakeholders that the government would take all steps to protect the interests of Tamil Nadu farmers.
Congress MLA from Karnataka Rizwan Arshad has called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to conduct a joint meeting with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka leaders to resolve the water issue between the two states.
As on July 15, the total water storage in four major reservoirs of Karnataka stood at 75.586 tmc (thousand million cubic feet). The water storage in Mettur dam is merely 13.808 tmc.
What is the Dispute?
The Cauvery River is a significant water body in the southern India, which merges into Bay of Bengal. The dispute traces back to the late 1800s, when agreements were reached between the princely state of Mysore (now part of Karnataka) and the Madras Presidency (now Tamil Nadu).
Both states have been fighting for a greater share in the Cauvery river water to satiate the agricultural and household needs of their people.
Over the years, the dispute was related to allocation of water resources during scarcity, distribution of water and establishment of reservoirs and dams along with the river’s course.
The problem between the lower riparian state of Tamil Nadu (404.25 thousand million cubic feet) and the upper riparian state of Karnataka (284.75 tmc) has aggravated due to the failure of southwest monsoon in Karnataka this season.
The states witnessed a series of agreements, disagreements, debates and deliberations and legal battles over the distribution of river water.
The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) was formed in 1990 to address the water disputes involving Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Puducherry.
In February 2007, CWDT issued its final award, detailing water allocations among the four states in the Cauvery basin based on the availability of 740 tmc in a typical year, as mentioned by The Economic Times. But both the states express discontent over the tribunal’s judgment.
In 2018, the Supreme Court upheld the Tribunal’s judgment, and declared Cauvery water a national resource. This led to the formation of Cauvery Management Scheme by the Central government.
How Did It Become Political?
Last year, Tamil Nadu demanded a release of 10,000 cusecs of water over 15 days, while Karnataka sought a lower water release of 8,000 cusecs for the same period.
Tamil Nadu knocked on the door of the Supreme Court, and asked that Karnataka releases 24,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water from its reservoir. Karnataka, however, argued that Tamil Nadu has failed to recognise that the year 2023 was “not a normal water year”.
After deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar appealed to reconsider the decision due to water scarcity, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee recommended that Karnataka releases 3,000 cusecs at Biligundlu from September 28 to October 15, 2023.
Both the governments have accused each other of prioritising politics over the needs of its people. The BJP alleges that the Congress government in Karnataka is distributing Cauvery water to DMK, its ally in Tamil Nadu.
Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje had said the politicisation of Cauvery water dispute will lead to drinking water shortages in the agrarian regions of Mandya and Mysuru, as well as the metropolitan city of Bengaluru.
Karnataka has cited insufficient inflow due to decreased rainfall in the Cauvery catchment, which includes the origin point of Kodagu. The state government said the catchment area saw a 44% rain deficit from June to August last year.
IS THERE A SOLUTION?
According to Nobel Laureate Ronald Coase, the two state could engage in voluntary negotiations over water sharing if there are low transaction costs and clear property rights, as mentioned in The Wire.
The water-sharing formula should also involve an integrated water conservation policy, maintaining Cauvery river as a shared responsibility. Investment in irrigation, cropping pattern, any measure to regulate water need to be deliberated upon by both states.
According to a retired police official from Karnataka, C Chandrashekhar, who gave an interview to Frontline magazine, the practical solution to the water dispute is to build a reservoir to store rainwater during heavy monsoons. The reservoir could be used for drinking water purposes and electricity generation in Karnataka, and the timely release of water to Tamil Nadu as prescribed by the Supreme Court.
He pointed out the erratic monsoons in the past will become a permanent condition considering climate change is going to be a bigger problem in the coming years. Thus, state should not talk about the “private rights of individuals, but instead talk about the general welfare of the people who live on the banks of the river”.