The Hindu : See dams before CRA meet, PM told

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 09, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

See dams before CRA meet, PM told

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Feb. 8. H.D.Deve Godwa, former Prime Minister, today demanded that the Prime Minister, A.B.Vajpayee, do an aerial survey of the reservoirs in the Cauvery Basin in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu before taking a decision on the issue.

Mr. Gowda said it was imperative for Mr. Vajpayee to ascertain the facts personally, in time, before the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) meets on Monday. Any decision without going into the ground realities could result in violence, more so since the Cauvery Basin region was in the grip of one of the worst droughts in 30 years.

Mr. Deve Gowda told presspersons here that he had explained to the Prime Minister the implications of any "decision based on misrepresented facts or any given set formula" and would be writing to the Prime Minister in detail on the present water storage in the reservoirs and various other facts apart from the hapless situation of farmers. "If need be, I will call on the Prime Minister and explain the ground realities," he said.

The former prime minister said his meeting with Mr. Vajpayee would depend on the CRA meeting on Monday. It was up to the Prime Minister to even postpone the meeting to ascertain facts or conduct an aerial survey.

Over the past three months, the former prime minister has called on Mr. Vajpayee several times to discuss the Cauvery issue and ensure that any decision was in the larger interests of maintaining unity and integrity of the country apart from ensuring good relations between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Mr. Gowda, who for the first time brought to light a distress formula evolved "unilaterally" by the Central Water Commission, said it was one-sided and could not be implemented.

As per the formula, Karnataka had to release 72 per cent of its storage to Tamil Nadu in a distress year and the remaining 28 per cent had to be shared between two States.

Ironically, the S.M.Krishna Government had remained silent on the distress sharing formula although it was evolved in April 2002.

The former prime minister said that Mr. Vajpayee was surprised when told about the distress formula. He enquired whether the State Government had any representative in the Central Water Commission.

Tamil Nadu in its recent petitions before the Apex Court and before the Cauvery River Authority was demanding the implementation of the distress formula and apparently the directions being issued to Karnataka were based on this formula.

The water available in the four Cauvery reservoirs was 2.8 tmcft. and with Karnataka implementing the recent directions of the Supreme Court to release 4,500 cusecs a day until the CRA met on February 10, the storage would drop to 1.3 tmcft.

The standing crop of sugarcane in Mandya and Mysore districts alone was spread over 45,000 acres and even if the crop had to be given water at least four times before harvest, the requirement of water was much higher than the available storage.

In an order issued on January 30, the State Government had categorically stated that there would be no more water release in the Kabini canals irrespective of the standing crops.

Mr. Gowda said the S.M.Krishna Government, which was brow beaten following the repeated directions of the Apex Court, had adopted a "nervous posture".

The Krishnaraja Sagar, Harangi, Hemavaty, and the Kabini reservoirs were constructed 30 to 75 years ago and there was no estimation on the silt collected. The dead storage pertained to the stagnating water between the sill level and the riverbed level.

The present inflow into the four reservoirs was 400 cusecs and the seepage from the dams was itself around 500 cusecs, he said.

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

Southern States

Stories in this Section

See dams before CRA meet, PM told

Police intensify combing operations after `sighting' of Veerappan

M.N. Krishna Rau's services recalled

Modified notification on new rly. zone yet to be issued

Theory that Nagappa's body was guarded gains credence

Admission policy: ABVP plans stir

Bio-fuel project planned in 3 districts

JD(S) plea against registering AIJD

Mandya farmers protest water release