BENGALURU: Even as Karnataka farmers watch their crops wilt without rain, those from the Cauvery basin are asking: What about massive unaccounted for inflows going into Tamil Nadu every year?
Thimme Gowda, former managing director of Cauvery Neeravari Nigam, said, “So much of unaccounted for excess water flows into Tamil Nadu every year during rain and floods. That could be a few tmcft every year. Why is no one accounting for it?”
He pointed out that Tamil Nadu is not begging for drinking water, but for irrigation purposes, even as Karnataka’s own standing crops in Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Mysuru show clear signs of distress. “We are not able to irrigate our crops here, but we are asked to release water to Tamil Nadu for their crop,” he said.
Between 1924 and 1974, Karnataka released around 600 tmcft of Cauvery water annually to Tamil Nadu, while utilising less than 137 tmcft for itself. That means Tamil Nadu is drawing nearly five times the water Karnataka has kept for itself.
He said, “For 50 years, Karnataka sacrificed its growth, its agriculture, and its future to uphold an archaic agreement between princely Mysore and the British-controlled erstwhile Madras presidency.
Today, the neighbouring state cries foul the moment Karnataka tries to protect its parched lands and desperate farmers. The unaccounted for inflows near Biligundlu represent everything wrong with how this dispute has been handled for decades.”
A former irrigation secretary told TNIE, “What is Tamil Nadu’s reason for saying no to Mekedatu balancing reservoir? If we build Mekedatu we can comply with all their water needs every year, even in dry years. Everyone knows Cauvery flow is higher in some years and lower in others. When it is in excess, we can hold it and give it to them when the rainfall yields are poor. In the last ten years, we have given Tamil Nadu 700-plus tmcft of water in excess during floods.’’
Karnataka has a moral and historical right to demand full transparency on unaccounted for flows. “Why should Karnataka farmers sacrifice their rabi season so that Tamil Nadu can secure its fields without accounting for the water released? Successive Karnataka governments have chosen short-term political calm over long-term interests of the state,” they said.
“Karnataka must comply where legally unavoidable, but simultaneously launch an aggressive, data-driven offensive in the Supreme Court demanding fair and complete audit and accounting of all inflows, including unmeasured flows at Biligundlu and elsewhere,” experts added.
