CHENNAI: Even as his non-committal approach towards implementation of the Supreme Court verdict on Cauvery dispute has drawn flak, Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways, Shipping and Water Resources Nitin Gadkari’s attempt to drive home the message of a proposed scheme to link Godavari and Cauvery to bring 150 tmc ft water to Tamil Nadu has invited strong criticism.
The suggestion comes at a time when the State desperately requires water to save parched farms and withering crops. Experts and activists alleged that it was a tactic to deflect attention from the Cauvery issue because interlinking of rivers remains only on paper.
Irked over Gadkari’s statement, Cauvery Delta Farmers Association general secretary ‘Mannargudi’ S Ranganathan described it nothing but a diversionary tactic as the scheme had been talked about since the 70s.
“It is nothing but diversionary tactic. He (Gadkari) is trying to abdicate responsibility of implementing the Supreme Court verdict,” he told Express.
“Talks on Krishna-Godavari-Cauvery link scheme have been doing rounds since 1970s. The proposal is not going to take wings,” said Ranganathan, the original petitioner in the Cauvery water dispute in Supreme Court.
“What is the need to associate implementation of Supreme Court judgment on Cauvery dispute and Godavari-Cauvery link scheme? Why is it talked about now?” asked S Janagarajan, an expert in water management.
“At this time, I am worried about the drying crops in the State, we require water (from Cauvery) to save them,” he said.
Pointing to the tiff over tapping Godavari water between states, including Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, he wondered how these states were going to agree to the implementation of the link scheme to bring water to Tamil Nadu. He termed the idea fictitious and termed interlinking of rivers a myth.
A former special chief engineer with Tamil Nadu PWD, A Veerappan said Andhra Pradesh has been denying water due for Tamil Nadu as per the agreement between the two states on the Palar.
“When Andhra Pradesh is not releasing our rightful water in the Palar, even denying drinking water from the Krishna, how will it allow Tamil Nadu to benefit from Godavari-Cauvery link scheme,” he said.
Andhra Pradesh government has constructed 22 check dams across the Palar within 28 km only with the parochial aim of obstructing flow of water down to Tamil Nadu, he said, adding that the height of the check dam at Kuppam was increased to 20 ft to store more water. It has never fulfilled its commitment of releasing water to Tamil Nadu as per the agreement.
Another stark reality is that Andhra Pradesh is not even giving water from Krishna river to meet the drinking water requirements of Chennai city, leaving the people run for a bucket of water, he said.
“The statement of Nitin Gadkari is incorrect and unrealistic. It is not going to happen in the near future,” Veerappan said.
Moreover, experts sounded sceptical on the feasibility of Godavari-Cauvery link scheme given the geography of the course of the river.
Tamil Nadu government too seems to be buoyed and ambitious of the idea of the Union Minister to trumpet on the link scheme.
However, Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management R B Udhayakumar said it is being treated as a separate scheme without linking to the Cauvery issue.
“The idea behind the scheme is to tap surplus water from Godavari as 3,000 tmc ft is going waste into the sea. It is not an alternative to the Cauvery water; it is a separate scheme to tap surplus water,” he told Express.
‘Dam’ning facts
Andhra Pradesh government has constructed 22 check dams across the Palar within 28 km only with the parochial aim of obstructing flow of water down to Tamil Nadu