Southern states on Thursday backed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s call for dialogue to resolve pending inter-state water disputes, while concerns over delimitation and political representation also dominated the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council.
Chairing the meeting, Shah called for the early resolution of water-related disputes through joint meetings involving the Union Ministries of Jal Shakti and Home Affairs, the Inter-State Council and the states concerned.
Shah said protecting the interests of individual states was not wrong, but added that such concerns should not leave states deprived of water for years while it ultimately flowed into the sea.
He advocated linking major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, Cauvery and Godavari, saying the initiative could help ensure that India faced no water shortage for the next 100 years. River interlinking, he said, could also create waterways, reduce fuel consumption and provide a cost-effective mode of transport.
Shah said five of the eight major river-water sharing disputes in north India had persisted since the pre-British era, but a final agreement had been reached on the last of these five months ago. Resolving all the disputes, he said, had helped create a “dispute-free” north India.
He described the southern states as “pillars” of India’s progress, saying water was central to agriculture, industry, public health and the environment in the region.
The Southern Zonal Council comprises Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Keralam, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, along with the Union Territories of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. It provides a forum for resolving issues between the Centre and the member states and UTs.
Delimitation emerged as another major issue at the meeting, with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu stressing the need to maintain the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats for another 25 years.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar urged the council to adopt a resolution calling on the Centre to use the 1971 Census for delimitation, retain the 543-seat strength of the Lok Sabha for 25 years and accommodate women's reservation within the existing seats.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay conveyed the state's concerns to Shah, with state minister R Nirmal Kumar saying Tamil Nadu wanted the existing freeze on Lok Sabha seats at 543 nationally and 39 in the state to continue.
Kumar said Tamil Nadu had expressed concern that southern states could lose political representation under a population-based reallocation of seats, arguing that states that had successfully controlled population growth should not be penalised.
The proposed Mekedatu dam, a longstanding point of contention between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, also figured in the discussions.
Shivakumar said he assured Tamil Nadu, in Shah's presence, that its interests would be protected if the reservoir was constructed. Karnataka would retain five TMC ft of water for drinking water supply, while the remaining water would be shared with Tamil Nadu, he said.
However, Tamil Nadu's minister said the Cauvery water-sharing dispute and matters relating to the Cauvery Tribunal were not discussed during the council meeting.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu proposed a bullet train corridor connecting Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu through Kuppam, along with a transit network linking Amaravati, Bengaluru and Chennai.
Naidu stressed that cooperation, coordination and mutual trust between the Centre and states were essential to resolving inter-state issues and accelerating regional development.
Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan raised the Mullaperiyar dam issue and called for cooperative federalism in healthcare, infrastructure, environmental protection and regional security.
Satheesan said Kerala was willing to provide Tamil Nadu its full share of water from a new Mullaperiyar dam. Under the proposal, Tamil Nadu would undertake the design, identify the location and construct the new dam, while Kerala would bear the entire cost.
Tamil Nadu has maintained that the existing Mullaperiyar dam is safe, while Kerala has argued that a higher water level could pose risks to people living downstream in the event of a breach and has sought the decommissioning of the existing structure.
Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka sought protection of the state's rights over Krishna river waters and Central support for major irrigation projects. He also offered to host the next Southern Zonal Council meeting in Hyderabad.
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also agreed to resolve pending issues concerning the division of assets and liabilities through consultations with the Union Home Ministry.
Puducherry was represented by Lieutenant Governor K Kailashnathan, as Chief Minister N Rangasamy was absent. Kailashnathan sought the Centre's and neighbouring states' support, particularly Tamil Nadu's, to develop an integrated surface-water system for reliable year-round supply, identifying water security and drinking water as key concerns for the Union Territory.
(With inputs from PTI)