Expert calls on tribunal to address key factors in Cauvery dispute

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: As Tamil Nadu and Karnataka lock horns again over the sharing of Cauvery water, an expert has put the onus on the tribunal to bring an end to the controversy.

Environmental activist and water expert Himanshu Thakkar from South Asia Network on Dams, River and People (SANDRP), told News Trail that the tribunal should address key factors, which also include the definition of ‘distress formula’ to end the ongoing dispute.

“There is no definition of distress formula and about sharing water during bad monsoons. The lack of guidance from the tribunal when the monsoon is deficit adds to the dispute as it has only laid down guidelines for normal years”, he said.

Further, Thakkar also added that exploiting the groundwater will have an impact on water sharing and the tribunal needs to address how the water catchment is to be managed.

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to constitute a bench to hear the controversial Cauvery water-sharing dispute.

Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, while hearing the plea by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi agreed to constitute a bench. Rohatgi mentioned before the justice that the standing crops in the delta district of Tamil Nadu need water.

He appeared on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government, which pleaded to direct the Karnataka government to release 24,000 cusecs of water from its reservoirs to meet the demands of Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu government, in its plea, argued that Cauvery Water Management Authority had on August 11, reduced the cusecs of water to 10,000 from 15,000 and alleged it has not been complied with by the Karnataka government. It also mentioned in the plea that the Billigundulu recorded the flow of 6,148, 4,852, 4,453, and 4,000 cusecs on August 11, 12, 13, and 14 respectively.

Nearly 14.913 lakh acres are dependent on the Mettur reservoir for irrigation and about four million farmers and ten million laborers are directly and indirectly dependent on water for their livelihood.

While Tamil Nadu pleaded to direct Karnataka to release water for September to compensate for the shortfall of 28.849 TMC, the Karnataka government has called for all party meetings to discuss the issue on Wednesday.