Resolve Mekedatu issue through talks

Karnataka’s proposal to construct a balancing reservoir across river Cauvery at Mekedatu has met with strong opposition from Tamil Nadu, which is not surprising considering that both states were locked in a bitter dispute over water-sharing for nearly a century. The Mekedatu project is aimed at providing drinking water and generating electricity for Bengaluru. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s move inviting his Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin for talks to resolve the issue has not got an encouraging response, with the latter reiterating his state’s objection to the project. While Tamil Nadu is entitled to defend its own interests, Stalin should give talks a chance so that the issue does not lead to animosity between the people of the two states, as the Cauvery waters dispute did in the past.

The Supreme Court had 2018 modified the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and allotted 284.75 tmc-ft to Karnataka, 404.24 tmc-ft to Tamil Nadu, 30 tmc-ft to Kerala and 7 tmc-ft to Puducherry. Karnataka contends that the balancing reservoir at Mekedatu would actually be beneficial to Tamil Nadu which has failed to build irrigation infrastructure like dams, barrages and canals over the years, leading to an enormous quantity of Cauvery water draining into the Bay of Bengal. This wastage can be avoided to some extent if the excess water is stored at Mekedatu, to be used at a time of distress. The state also argues that it is well within its rights to appropriate its share of water as per the apex court order. Tamil Nadu fears that Karnataka may impound more than its share of water, which would adversely impact farmers in the Cauvery delta region of Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Pudukkottai districts. Tamil Nadu is also worried that the proposed reservoir at Mekedatu will block the currently uncontrolled flow of water in the form of rains and streams that occur beyond Kabini, the last dam across the Cauvery on the Karnataka side.

Tamil Nadu’s apprehensions are unfounded as the Centre has set up the Cauvery Water Management Authority to ensure that water is released to the state as per the Supreme Court order, and there is no scope for Karnataka to default on it. Experience has shown that court battles will only be time-consuming. The need of the hour is for politicians from both states to show statesmanship and resolve the issue amicably through talks instead of vitiating the atmosphere to reap political dividends, as they have done for the past few decades.