CHENNAI: Just as the Central government is planning to introduce the River Basin Management Bill, 2018 in the ensuing winter session of Parliament and has sought the views of all State governments soon, water experts and political leaders in Tamil Nadu have expressed differing views on this legislation. The State government is yet to deliberate on this issue and sources said a meeting may be held next week to decide the State’s stand on it.
A Veerappan, secretary, Tamil Nadu Senior PWD Engineers Association, says the State government should oppose the move in toto.“The Central government brings this Bill to ensure that their will is implemented in all States. River water is based on every State and there are peculiar issues faced by every State. This move is aimed at taking away the rights of the State government by the Central government and the Bill is authoritarian. There is no clarity in the Bill as to what will happen to the Cauvery Water Management Authority. There cannot be two authorities for one river basin. If these inter-State river basin authorities are formed, Karnataka may say that it would not abide by the directions of CWMA which has been achieved after half a century legal battle,” he said.
However, K Sivasubramanian, Associate Professor, Madras Institute of Development Studies and expert in water issues, has a different view. “I think this Bill will not go against Tamil Nadu since it includes all 13 inter-State rivers across the country and there are many positive aspects for the States. In a nutshell, the Bill is a master plan on how to handle water resources in each basin. The existing river board on inter-State rivers can only recommend measures. But the river basin authority proposed in this Bill has powers to give ruling binding on the States. Their ruling cannot be overruled by the courts.”
He also said, “The primary objective of the Bill is to ensure maximum effective utilisation of available water. It is a ‘basin approach’ to build capacity and resolve conflicts.” Asked what would happen to the existing CWMA, he said, “Since the CWMA is formed by the directives of SC, most likely, this would be kept intact and would be incorporated in the river basin authority.”
PMK youth wing president
S Ramadoss said this Bill would bring the Cauvery dispute back to square one and it would be a big setback to Tamil Nadu. This move should be withdrawn and the Cauvery Water Management Authority should be given full powers to function autonomously.
MDMK general secretary Vaiko said the River Basin Management Bill would undo whatever rights Tamil Nadu had got after a long legal battle. Since the draft Bill says the decisions of these river basin authorities would be binding on States concerned, Tamil Nadu would have to start fresh talks with the neighbouring State. Further, water resources would go to the hands of private organisations. “So this Bill aimed at snatching away the rights of the States and is strongly condemnable. The Centre should give up move in toto immediately.”
CPI State secretary R Mutharasan feels the legislation should not be introduced.
CPM State secretary R Balakrishnan is of the view that the Bill would snatch away the powers of the States and it would not be acceptable to his party. Stating that he was yet to study the finer details of the Bill, Balakrishnan told Express “Our party will not support any move to transfer the rights of the States over their rivers to Central government.”
PR Pandian, president, All Farmers Associations’ Coordination Committee, said the river basin authorities to be formed as per the River Basin Bill would not bring any cordial decisions on inter-State water disputes.