Water deficit: Time to be accommodative

Unlike last year, when most reservoirs in Karnataka were filled to the brim due to bountiful pre-monsoon and monsoon showers, this year, the scene does not look too bright.

Bengalureans themselves have been looking to the skies since the beginning of August wondering why the rains have been reduced to a trickle.

On Saturday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah gave enough indications that the water levels in the state’s reservoirs including the mighty KRS Dam in Mandya are not satisfactory and this is preventing Karnataka from releasing enough Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

The neighbouring state has been vocal for quite some time about the insufficient release of water with its water resources minister expressing dissatisfaction over this.

Meanwhile, The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) has asked Karnataka to release water to TN so that 10,000 cusecs reaches Biligundlu on the inter-state border.

This happened on Friday amid a walkout by TN officials from the CWMA meeting protesting against the suggestion to reduce the quantum of water being released by Karnataka.

Meanwhile, Karnataka has pointed out that TN had already released water to its farmers and also has sufficient water storage in its reservoirs. Water has always been a contentious issue for the two states particularly during a deficit year when the reservoirs just refuse to fill up.

This year, there are many districts in Karnataka including the hilly Kodagu district, one of the main catchment areas for the Cauvery River, which are facing a rain shortfall.

This is not surprising considering that there was hardly any rain in the state in June though it did rain heavily in July taking reservoir levels to respectable numbers.

With sources claiming that Karnataka is facing a shortage of almost 40 per cent in its reservoirs, the state is hardly left with any option but to limit the quantum of water released to TN.

Tamil Nadu receives most of its rain from the North-East Monsoon, also known as the retreating monsoon and now, all eyes are on the crucial phase from October to December when the skies open up again.

Karnataka too receives rain from this monsoon albeit in much lesser quantities though last year, the rains in this period were much more than normal causing large-scale havoc across Bengaluru city.

Karnataka can also look forward to some more rain in the remaining period of the South-West Monsoon from August to September. And so there is no point in TN raising a hue and cry over this and threatening to take the row to the Supreme Court for relief as the deficit scenario as far as the rains are concerned, is known to everyone.

In the past when the monsoon was bountiful, Karnataka has released more than its due share of water to TN, which will have to be more accommodative and patient while demanding a share.

What should be a source of relief to the governments in both states is that the ruling parties are both part of the same opposition alliance at the national level and so differences in this regard, can be resolved amicably.

The Congress is even part of the ruling front led by the DMK in TN and taking the disagreements on something as basic as water to a new high, will surely prove to be a source of discomfort for the alliance partnership.

The best way to resolve a water dispute, as has been reiterated many times in the past, is to be accommodative and deliberate on it with a spirit of sacrifice. The last thing one would like to see is sabre rattling of the kind that TN has engaged in.

The vagaries of the weather are something no state or nation has control over and legal battles of the kind TN is planning will only strain ties.