Cauvery Water Dispute (Current Events)
Cauvery Water Dispute (Current Events)
Why In News:
The Cauvery water dispute has resurfaced over the absence of a clear scientific distress-sharing formula for deficient monsoon years between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Cauvery River Water Dispute
Core Issue: During years of deficient rainfall, Karnataka, as the upper-riparian State, seeks greater flexibility to meet drinking-water and irrigation needs, while Tamil Nadu, as the lower-riparian State, seeks assured releases for its Cauvery delta agriculture, including the Kuruvai crop.
Tribunal: The dispute was brought under Article 262 and the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, leading to the constitution of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in 1990.
CWDT Award, 2007
The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) gave its final award in 2007, determining the allocation of the river’s utilisable water among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
The Tribunal allocated 740 TMC among the stakeholders, with the largest shares going to Tamil Nadu (419 TMC) and Karnataka (270 TMC), while Kerala received 30 TMC and Puducherry 7 TMC.
Tamil Nadu's larger share reflects its extensive dependence on the Cauvery for irrigation, particularly in the Cauvery delta, while Karnataka's allocation caters to its irrigation and drinking-water requirements in the upper basin.
The award also prescribed a regulated pattern of water releases from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu, making the dispute not merely about the annual quantum but also about when and how much water is released.
Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA)
Establishment: The CWMA was constituted by the Central Government in 2018 under the Cauvery Water Management Scheme, 2018, along with the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC).
Legal Status: It is a statutory body under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, responsible for implementing the modified Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) Award as upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
Composition: Headquartered in New Delhi under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, it is headed by a Chairperson of Secretary/Additional Secretary rank or a senior engineer, appointed by the Central Government for a five-year term.
Members: It includes full-time members representing water resources and agriculture, Central Government representatives, and members representing the basin States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
About the Cauvery River
About: The Cauvery (Kaveri) is a major east-flowing peninsular river, often called the “Ganga of the South.”
Origin & Course: It originates at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri Hills of Kodagu, Karnataka, flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and drains into the Bay of Bengal near Poompuhar.
Basin: The basin covers about 81,155 sq. km across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
Perennial Nature: Its water availability is influenced by both the Southwest Monsoon in the upper basin and the Northeast Monsoon in the lower basin.
Major Tributaries:
Left Bank: Harangi, Hemavati, Shimsha and Arkavati.
Right Bank: Lakshmana Tirtha, Kabini, Suvarnavathi, Bhavani, Noyyal and Amaravati.
Major Dams: Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) in Karnataka and Mettur Dam in Tamil Nadu.