Fourteen years after the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa famously arrived in Bengaluru with her ergonomically designed chair for talks with her Karnataka counterpart Jagadish Shettar, the Chief Ministers of two riparian states are likely to discuss the contentious Cauvery River water sharing issue on August 3.
In November 2012, the talks – which lasted just a few minutes – had proved ineffective. Since then, a lot of water has flown below the bridge. But both sides have hardly budged an inch on their stands, as it is not just a water-sharing issue but also a politically sensitive and emotive one in the upper and lower-riparian states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The issue has again come to the fore due to the sluggish monsoon, and demand of farmers from both the states for river water to save their crops.
Now, will the meeting of Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and his TN counterpart Joseph Vijay, likely to be held in Bengaluru, yield any results? Can they take a political risk or antagonise farmers in their respective states? While the Tamil Nadu CM would be seeking to convince Karnataka to release water as delta farmers are facing water shortage, Shivakumar would make the most of the opportunity by explaining the state’s low reservoir levels and simultaneously making a case for the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir. There is hardly any room for discretion. Opposition parties in both states too would be keeping a close watch on the developments.
The delayed onset of monsoon has adversely impacted agricultural activities, and Karnataka is facing a drought-like situation. The CM is visiting districts to get a first-hand assessment of the situation on the ground. The water levels in major reservoirs are low, and the administration is concerned about ensuring there is no shortage of drinking water.
As on Saturday, the water level at the KRS reservoir looked something like this: Maximum capacity – 49.452 TMC; Saturday’s capacity – 17.051 TMC and Live capacity – 8.672 TMC. It is no better at Kabini: maximum capacity –19.52TMC; Saturday’s capacity – 13.61TMC and live capacity – 3.80 TMC. Among the four meteorological regions, the Malnad Region, which constitutes the principal catchment of the Cauvery, Tunga and Bhadra river systems, has recorded the highest rainfall deficit of 34%. As on July 11, 18 of 31 districts recorded large rainfall deficits. As a precautionary measure, the CM had even asked farmers to avoid water-intensive crops.
In a normal year, Karnataka has to release 177.25 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu. The problem arises during the distress year when the reservoir levels are low. The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s (CWDT) final award or the Apex Court judgment in 2018 did not mention a scientific calculation method for a distress year.
There is a demand for a distress sharing formula. The State Government and many irrigation experts believe that the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir – across the Cauvery at Mekedatu, around 100 km from Bengaluru – with a storage capacity of 67 TMC will be an answer to the crisis that recurs during the drought years.
On several occasions, the CM has maintained that the project is more beneficial to Tamil Nadu than to Karnataka, as they will be able to release water even in distress years. TN has been vehemently opposing the project.
Although it is too much to expect that the CMs’ meeting would find a lasting solution, one can be optimistic. The heads of the governments of two states showing willingness to discuss and making a fresh beginning after 14 years is a welcome move.
They belong to the same side of the highly polarised spectrum, which provides a much-needed conducive atmosphere, though both sides would come under immense pressure not to concede ground and make tangible gains.
For Shivakumar, who has been doggedly pursuing the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, the meeting provides an opportunity to clear apprehensions on the other side of the border. As state Congress president – from July 2020 to June 2026 – he had spearheaded the agitation demanding that the then BJP government implement it. Many top Congress leaders, including AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge, had participated in the padayatra. Since Congress returned to power in May 2023, as Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister and now as the CM, he has been a strong advocate for the project.
It all depends on whether the political leadership works with an open mind and a spirit of give-and-take, and on their ability to create room for such manoeuvring within the political limitations they work in. At the end of the day, whatever may be the outcome, they can agree to disagree but continue with the talks in the best interest of both states. They can even widen the mechanism of talks by involving farmers from both states in the dialogue to build trust and make them understand the situation on the ground.
Welcoming the talks between the two CMs, President of Karnataka State Farmers’ Organisations Federation and State Sugarcane Growers Association Kurubur Shanthakumar, says Cauvery should become a symbol of harmony that unites Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Instead of lengthy legal battles, decisions taken by the leaders of the two states with mutual respect and harmony can bring peace to the lives of crores of citizens.
