The Hindu : `Evolve realistic formula for water sharing'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 23, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

`Evolve realistic formula for water sharing'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI JUNE 22. The Tamil Nadu Cauvery Delta Farmers' Welfare Association has called for a realistic and holistic formula to share Cauvery water among the Basin States, not only during surplus seasons but also in times of distress.

"We should remember that droughts are manageable. If there is a failure, it is only due to human failure to tackle it", S. Ranganathan, general secretary, said in a statement.

Such a formula would be necessary to save crops during crucial periods.

Urging that efforts should be made to create a better understanding of problems of the States, he said "once the notion of fair sharing is accepted in the real spirit and perspective, the problem becomes all the more easy for anyone to evolve an acceptable formula".

He suggested exchange of information on actual water requirement, storage position in reservoirs of the States and assessment of the standing crops and their water needs. During critical periods, the Cauvery Monitoring Committee should study the position in a systematic and transparent manner, as frequently as possible, without waiting for any of the affected States to petition to it.

Appreciating the Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS) for facilitating two rounds of dialogue between farmers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka that took place in the last two months, Mr. Ranganathan recalled that on the initiative of the late S. Guhan, professor of the MIDS, and under the guidance of the former Supreme Court Judge, V.R. Krisha Iyer, an attempt was made in 1992 to bring about an understanding.

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