Summer usually brings to the fore the century-old Cauvery river water dispute between the two riparian states -- Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. But this year’s summer seems to have sparked a fresh row over the Cauvery water within the State.
People of Tumkur district, who share both the Cauvery and Krishna river basins, are sparring over the State government’s recent decision to divert the Hemavathi river water to Kallambella, Madalur and 11 other tanks located in Sira taluk.
Hemavathi is a tributary of Cauvery. Of the 10 taluks in the district, five come under the Cauvery basin – Tumkur, Tiptur, Kunigal, Turuvekere, Gubbi – and five under Krishna basin – Madhugiri, Koratagere, Chikkanayakanahalli, Pavagada, Sira.
A section of farmers from Kunigal recently approached the High Court of Karnataka, urging it to strike down the government order dated April 15, 2011 to implement the Rs-59.88 crore diversion project, which would quench the thirst of people in Sira taluk and surrounding areas.
The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) department had issued the order. The department aims to supply drinking water to people in Sira by filling the tanks.
The aggrieved farmers fear that people in the tail end areas of the Cauvery basin (Kunigal and Tumkur taluks) will be deprived of Hemavathi water if the order is implemented. Work on the Tumkur branch canal project (that was taken up in 1987 to provide Hemavathi water to people in the Cauvery basin of the district) is yet to be completed in Kunigal and Tumkur taluks. If the controversial diversion project is implemented, there will not be enough water left for these two taluks, the aggrieved farmers have contended in the petition.
Under the Tumkur branch canal project, a 240-km stretch of the canal from Channarayapatna to Kunigal is being constructed to utilise about 25.5 tmc ft of water available for Tumkur zone. About 40 km of work (to connect Kunigal and Tumkur taluks) is pending.
The aggrieved farmers have also contested the government’s move on technical grounds.
They are saying the project is illegal on many grounds: It felicitates inter-basin utilisation of water, violating the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal award; Any diversion project should be implemented by the Water Resources Department and not RDPR.
Besides, they are arguing that the project will be detrimental to the interests of the State as there is a possibility of the diverted Cauvery water getting included in the Krishna basin and being added to the total quantum of water provided from the Krishna river to the State.
Water politics
The controversial diversion project has the backing of MLAs from the Krishna basin of the district, while those from the Cauvery basin are opposing it, irrespective of party affiliation. The project will be a crucial issue for the political parties in the next Assembly elections.
Despite the controversy, sources said the government is planning another diversion project to supply Hemavathi water to Chikkanayakanahalli taluk.