The Hindu : Former PM for experts' committee on Cauvery row

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 22, 2002

National

National

Former PM for experts' committee on Cauvery row

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 21. The former Prime Minister, H. D. Deve Gowda, today suggested that the Centre constitute a team of experts to conduct an objective and a thorough study of the situation in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka arising out of sharing of the Cauvery waters, and prepare a report on the basis of which a decision could be arrived at.

Mr. Gowda, who met the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, here, before the State delegations were scheduled to call on him, suggested that the Centre plead in the Supreme Court for the immediate constitution of a committee consisting of experts in irrigation management, agriculture and agriculture economics.

The Committee should study the conditions of the standing crop, water storage, inflow of water into the reservoirs, drought situation and the drinking water requirement of both the States, and submit a report. And the decision arrived at on its basis should be accepted by both the States for the current year, Mr. Gowda said.

He later told The Hindu that he had sought a meeting with Mr. Vajpayee on September 7, on the eve of the Cauvery River Authority meeting, but his request could not be accommodated. His sole objective was to apprise the Prime Minister of the prevailing situation as a farmer from the Cauvery delta region.

He said that despite the Karnataka Government's efforts to implement the CRA decision, the inflow at all the reservoirs had reduced considerably. The farmers' resistance was also growing, leading to the death of a farmer who jumped into the Kabini reservoir.

Mr. Gowda argued that while the farmers of Tamil Nadu faced the problem of inability to take the Samba crop due to insufficient storage at the Mettur reservoir, storage in Karnataka was not sufficient even to save the standing crop. "Lifting the water from the dead storage from any reservoir of Karnataka has never happened in the last five decades.''

Describing the distress sharing formula as "practically impossible'' to adopt in times of unprecedented drought, he advocated the experts committee route.

However, it is understood that during the all-party meeting, convened by the Karnataka Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, there was disagreement on the suggestion on the grounds that the CRA was the right forum for the resolution of the dispute.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National