Cauvery water dispute: Farmers' woes mount as Karnataka, TN struggle

DAM IF YOU DO, DAM IF YOU DON'T: The Cauvery water tussle isn't just a farm matter; it's also the lifeblood of two cities steering their state economies

The Cauvery River supplies 70-80 per cent of the water requirements for 14.5 million people in India’s Silicon Valley, Bengaluru. On the other hand, about 347 kilometres (km) away, Chennai, dubbed as the Detroit of Asia with a population of 12 million, also depends on it for 15-20 per cent of its water requirements during peak times. Hence, the battle for Cauvery water is not only about the agricultural sector but also the lifeline of the two cities that drive the economies of their respective states.

While political parties blame both sides and treaties for the over a century-old dispute, several experts cite the root cause of the concerns regarding Cauvery as its nature of being a monsoon rain-fed river.

According to the India Meteorological Department, Cauvery Basin districts are experiencing a 32 per cent rainfall deficit during the current year, becoming a trigger for dispute this time, even though the Supreme Court gave its verdict on the issue in 2018.

Farmers from both states have taken to the streets, seeking a higher share of water. The 

current controversy emerged after Karnataka became reluctant to adhere to previously agreed-upon water release quantities.

The majority of the cities in India have a nearby water body, but Bengaluru is forced to bring water from the Cauvery, which flows through the Mandya district and its tributary, the Kabini River, in the Mysuru district, covering over 100 km.

State authorities call the process Asia’s biggest pumping exercise to lift water from TK Halli to Bengaluru, which is 3,000 feet above sea level.

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board has already raised concerns earlier this month that reservoirs feeding the city are fast depleting due to water releases to Tamil Nadu.

On the other hand, Chennai also heavily depends on Veeranam Lake, 180 km away in the northern district of Cuddalore, to meet its water needs. The situation here is even more alarming, with water storage levels down to 531.6 million cubic feet (mcf) on September 29, around 61 per cent down compared to 1,367.8 mcf on the same day last year. More importantly, data shared by water authorities shows that the storage level now is only 36 per cent of the total capacity.

While the two metros are struggling, farmer woes are more alarming.

“Around 3 million acres of farmland in the Cauvery Delta region are dependent on Cauvery water for agriculture. Our land is dry now, with Karnataka not releasing enough water. Like Karnataka, we also have equal rights to the Cauvery River,” said T Jayaraman, an environmental activist from the Cauvery Delta region.

As a sign that the majority of farmers are hesitant to cultivate, reports suggest that the area under cultivation in the Cauvery Delta this Samba season has come down by 45 per cent. Jayaraman adds that Tamil Nadu’s food dependence on the Delta region is around 40 per cent, making it more vital for the state.

The immediate reason for the current protests on both sides is that Tamil Nadu demanded the release of 10,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water over 15 days.

The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) directed Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs. After much deliberation, CWMA directed Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu daily until October 15 and also rejected Tamil Nadu’s plea to supply backlog water.

In addition to agriculture, around 17 million people, or 20 per cent (including Chennai) of its population spread across 19 districts, depend on Cauvery for around 17 thousand million cubic feet (tmcf) of water every year.

The Karnataka story of water supply is not only Bengaluru-specific; the river quenches the thirst of Mysuru, Mandya, and 48 other towns and 600 villages in Karnataka.

“Even the 3,000 cusecs are not yet given. Unless they give it, 40 per cent of Tamil Nadu’s agriculture will be finished,” added Jayaraman.

According to Karnataka farmers, they can grow only one paddy crop a year, while their Tamil Nadu counterparts can grow three a year.

Dispute swells

The two agreements between the erstwhile Madras Presidency and the Princely State of Mysore are the primary cause of the controversy.

According to the deal in 1924, to construct dams or storage facilities in the region, Mysore had to get permission from Madras, while the share was 75:23:2 between Tamil Nadu, Mysore, and the erstwhile Travancore (now Kerala).

After Independence, the formation of Kerala and Puducherry further complicated the issue. Though a Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal was set up in 1990, it took 17 years to come up with a verdict in 2007. The verdict allotted 419 tmcf of water to Tamil Nadu, 270 tmcf to Karnataka, 30 tmcf to Kerala, and 7 tmcf to Puducherry. In 2018, the apex court reduced the annual share of water released in Karnataka from 192 tmcf to 177.25 tmcf.

“The major contribution of water to Cauvery is from Karnataka and Kerala, whereas its economic benefits mainly go to Tamil Nadu because of age-old deals. The development of agriculture was stalled in the upper state as they were not allowed to build reservoirs and dams,” S Raja Rao, Karnataka’s former secretary of the minor irrigation department and an irrigation expert, told Business Standard.

“The problem with Tamil Nadu is that it doesn’t have enough water storage facilities to hold the water during the monsoon season. Hence, all the water is going to waste,” Rao added.

Rao’s argument has some validity too, as the state reportedly got 3.5 times more water from Karnataka during the previous water year. Between June 2022 and May 2023, it received 667.67 tmcf of water, against the legal mandate of 177 tmcf. Experts like Rao argue that Tamil Nadu should construct more reservoirs to preserve the additional water coming in such good years. Well, Bengaluru is not far behind in wasting its water. According to February data, around 29 per cent of the daily water supply to the city is wasted due to  transmission losses.

Plumbing the depths

On one hand, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister (CM) M K Stalin is seeking Centre’s intervention for the release of water. On the other hand, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has already approached CWMA, stating that the water cannot be released, and has also sought permission to build a balancing reservoir across the Cauvery River at Mekedatu near Kanakapura.

Bengaluru has seen two bandhs in the past week, with the protesters alleging that the Congress government is releasing water to its INDIA alliance ally Stalin, against the wishes of the people in the state. The Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit is also echoing this.

“Siddaramaiah is trying to divide the nation, along with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu. The CWMA has complete control of all the dams. If the state is not releasing water, it will be in contempt of court. You have to share what you have. The DMK is also fooling the public of Tamil Nadu by not condemning the Congress,” said Narayanan Thirupathy, spokesperson for the BJP in Tamil Nadu.

On Friday, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (popularly known as KaRaVe), a pro-Kannada organisation, conducted a mock funeral procession, symbolically targeting ruling Congress Members of Legislative Assembly and Stalin. On the other side of the border, farmers too are raising the pitch, with some going on strike and even showcasing protests like holding dead rats in their mouths.

Amid the political slugfest, farmers and cities dependent on Cauvery water are keeping their fingers crossed.