Cauvery water row

The Cauvery water sharing between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka has eluded resolution for a very long time.The dispute is over the water sharing formula agreed between the erstwhile Madras Presidency and the Mysore Princely State.The sharing formula was arrived at based on the Cauvery basin area in the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.The river originates in Karnataka but the river basin area covered by Cauvery in Tamil Nadu is more than Karnataka.Cauvery is the source for irrigation in both the states.Karnataka uses Cauvery water for irrigation ,drinking water and hydel power  generation.The failure of monsoon in catchment areas frequently  resulted in lowering of the reservoir levels and Karnataka  was reluctant to release water to Tamil Nadu as per the agreement.Negotiations between states were not fruitful  and GOI set up a tribunal in 1990 to resolve the ticklish issue.The tribunal delivered a final judgement after 17  long years in 2007.The annual allocation for TN by the tribunal was 419 billion cubic  feet and  270 billion cubic feet for Karnataka.Kerala and Pondichery also have a small share of Cauvery water.All the parties to the dispute filed review petitions .In the meantime there were interim awards by the tribunal and when Karnataka honoured the award there were protests in Karnataka.Politicians on both sides played to the gallery and passions ran high.Karnataka felt the interim award was not equitable and there was no distress sharing formula.In 1997 GOI formed the Cauvery River Authority with powers for implementing interim orders.But  Karnataka opposed vesting these powers to the CRA .Hence the GOI constituted two bodies.CRA with  four  chief minister's(AP,TN,Kerala and Karnataka) as ex-officio members and PM as ex-officio Chairman..The Cauvery monitoring committee consisting of experts to analyse and review ground realities.The current situation is Karnataka is reluctant to release water as stipulated by PM/ CRA/ Supreme court.More over,politicians have made it a political issue  keeping the vote bank in mind.

Both sides should see reason and come to a negotiated settlement and should be  prepared for some reconcilation from their rigid stands.Politicians should stop playing to the gallery and incite passion among gullible public.However as a permanent solution to the irrigation needs,both karnataka and TN should give impetus to watershed management in delta areas and revive tank irrigation systems.In olden times a significant area was irrigated by tank water bodies.There has been a steady decline in water bodies in TN .Laxity by authorities over the years have resulted in many tanks becoming dry .In olden days Kings sponsored tank construction efforts with a vision and purpose . Our governments don't have a long term vision and are not pro active .Tanks were the important irrigation source in the past.TN has become vulnerable to drought because of the neglect in mainataining tank water bodies.There was a steady decline in tank irrigated areas in TN.It is not very expensive to build and maintain tank water bodies.It will also improve ground water recharging.All tanks are rain fed .Wells and pumps gradually replaced tank irrigation .Added to it most tanks were encroached.Not strengthening embankments and no silting also contributed to decline of tank water bodies.All temples in TN had tanks .Now most temple tanks are dry. These temple tanks were used for rain water harvestng by kings those days.In fact there is an old adage in Tamil 'Don't live in a place where there is no temple ' (கோவில் இல்லா ஊரில் குடியிருக்காதே) .The implied moral was that a place with a temple will have no water scarcity . Temple tanks were constructed in areas with rich water resource.

We have more recent examples in Ralegan Siddhi and Hiware Bazaar.Ralegan Siddhi, a tiny village near Pune was affected by severe drought .Today water is abundant in this village and agriculture flourishes.It is a model village today.The success story behind Ralegan sidhdhi is watershed management initiated by Social activist Anna Hazare.Hiware Bazaar was another drought prone village not long ago.Many villagers left the village as there was no water to raise any crop .Like Anna Hazare Popatrao Pawar transformed the village .Today Hiware Bazaar is the village with the highest GDP in the country.Hiware Bazar Gram Sabha instituted a watershed development programme.The village has successfully fought drought and drinking water problems. This village is known for its water conservation systems.This village conducts an annual water audit today.When two committed individuals can change the fortunes of two drought prone villages ,why our governments with so many technocrats and experts at their disposal are not able to address to the issues and resolve them.