Cauvery Water Dispute Resurfaces: Farmers Protest for Fair Water Allocation

The decades-old Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka has once again taken center stage, with farmers from both states taking to the streets, demanding a "fair share" of the river's precious water. This dispute, rooted in century-old agreements, has seen several protests in recent years and has once again captured national attention.

The Cauvery water-sharing dispute has a long history, but it gained renewed prominence in 2012 when the Karnataka government refused to comply with then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's directive to release 9,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu. This refusal ignited violent protests and brought the issue to the forefront of public consciousness.

The latest chapter of this ongoing saga unfolded when the Supreme Court declined to intervene and upheld the directive of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), instructing the Karnataka government to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.

Karnataka, as the upper riparian state, has cited a deficit in rainfall in August and claimed that it faces a looming drought, which led to its rejection of Tamil Nadu's request for additional Cauvery river water.

Authorities in Karnataka have expressed concerns that the reservoirs along the Cauvery River are drying up, which has raised alarm bells among farmers in the region. On the other hand, Cauvery water is vital for Tamil Nadu's farmers, especially for their 'Kuruvai' crop. Approximately 30 lakh acres of farmland in the Cauvery delta region depend on this river water for their agricultural activities.

As farmers from both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu continue their protests, the state governments are faced with the formidable task of finding a sustainable solution to this protracted dispute. Such a solution must address the needs of their respective agricultural communities while also ensuring the equitable sharing of this vital resource.

The Cauvery water dispute traces its origins back to 1892 when the princely state of Mysore and the Madras Presidency signed an agreement to share Cauvery water. In 1924, a definitive agreement was reached allocating fixed water shares to both regions for 50 years. However, the formation of new states - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala - in 1956 necessitated modifications to the water-sharing agreement. When the 1924 agreement expired in 1974, the states were unable to reach a fresh consensus.

In 1986, Tamil Nadu approached the Supreme Court, seeking the establishment of a tribunal to resolve this longstanding water-sharing dispute. Four years later, in 1990, the Supreme Court established the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT). The CWDT issued an interim order a year after its formation, directing Karnataka to release 205 TMCFT (thousand million cubic feet) of water to Tamil Nadu annually.

After years of legal battles, the tribunal issued its final award in 2007, allocating 41.92% of the water to the lower riparian state, Tamil Nadu, 27.36% to Karnataka, 12% to Kerala, and 7.68% to Puducherry. However, in 2012, Karnataka challenged the CWDT's allocation in the Supreme Court due to a severe rainfall deficit.

The Cauvery water issue has not only been a matter of resource allocation but also a deeply political one. It has led to widespread protests, political resignations, and contentious legal battles. Finding a lasting solution to this complex dispute remains a formidable challenge for both state governments and requires a delicate balance between competing interests and equitable resource allocation.

Author: Anushka Taraniya

News Writer, MIT ADT University