How political squabbling over Cauvery is leaving farmers parched

Tamil Nadu: 20,000 cusecs of Cauvery water

Karnataka: Not a drop more than 10,000 cusecs

Supreme Court: Okay. Compromise. Karnataka should give 15,000 cusecs.

The Cauvery, for quite many years now, has been the River of Control (RoC) between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Despite the award by the Cauvery River Water Tribunal, every year sees intermittent political shelling on both sides of the RoC.

Though the apex court, and sometimes the Centre, have intervened in the past to force a ceasefire, the drought situation in Karnataka this year has meant passions on both sides of the Cauvery are running high.

That the apex court would take a humanitarian view of the crisis was obvious when it told Karnataka last week to "live and let live" so that Tamil Nadu can continue to "exist as an entity". Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah saw in that advice, an indication of things to come, and increased security at the Krishna Raja Sagara dam in his state ahead of the verdict, fearing Kannadiga farmers could kill for Cauvery.

The 20,000 cusecs that Tamil Nadu demanded can be considered reasonable, given that on August 26, it had asked the court to order Karnataka to release 50,000 cusecs. Karnataka argued that with just 51,000 cusecs in its reservoirs, heeding the request was out of the question because doing so would mean Bangalore would go dry and crops in Karnataka would have no water.

According to the award, Karnataka is meant to release 192tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu. That is in a good year with ample monsoon. But problems start during a bad year.

This year, the rainfall deficit in Karnataka was well documented, with the state government declaring a drought in several districts. Kodagu and Hassan, the two main catchment districts for Cauvery, recorded 27 per cent and 23 per cent rainfall deficit respectively.

However, Tamil Nadu is suspicious about Karnataka, and the chatter on the ground in the lower riparian state is that the regime in Karnataka, irrespective of whichever party is in power, has always been stingy about releasing water even during a good year. By doing so, it ensures the farmer groups in Karnataka stay happy.

Then, the nature of the political formations in the two states also plays its part. The Congress and the BJP have a significant presence in Karnataka and are marginal players in Tamil Nadu. This is one reason why the national leadership of these two parties too tilts towards articulating Karnataka's interests.

It does not help matters that the DMK and the AIADMK, the two regional political formations in Tamil Nadu, fight their battles separately, even if it is for the state's interests.

The successive UPA and the NDA governments too have shown no urgency in implementing tribunal orders. The award was given in 2007, but nothing has been done in nine years to form the Cauvery Management Board (like the Bhakra Beas Management Board) to regulate dispute in a bad year. Karnataka, also, has not been in favour of the board, ensuring it has the upper hand in any water sharing dispute.

Tamil Nadu's protests over the construction of the dam projects at Mekedatu in Ramanagaram district to store 48tmc of water to meet Bangalore's drinking water needs too have not yielded any result. Karnataka has gone ahead with the project, allotting funds for it.

Tamil Nadu alleges that Karnataka's plan will alter the course of the river and is in violation of the tribunal award. Karnataka has responded with the arrogance of an upper riparian state, saying it will give Tamil Nadu 192tmcft, according to the order, and that Tamil Nadu cannot poke its nose into construction of projects within Karnataka.

But while the politicians on both sides of the border harden their positions, the ones suffering are the farmers. The Cauvery flows through seven Tamil Nadu districts and is critical for the survival of the kuruvai, or the summer crop in the Cauvery delta. Tamil Nadu farmers already complain that instead of three paddy crops in a year, the water shortage ensures they can grow only one.

The "tu tu main main" between the two states means that while Tamil Nadu accuses Karnataka of grabbing more river water than it should, the latter says Tamil Nadu actually does not tap the water well, leaving much of it into the sea.

While the apex court can be relied upon to arrive at a legal solution, it is the Centre that needs to come in to put an end to the squabbling politicians and ensure those on the ground are not left high and dry.