Date:04/01/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/01/04/stories/2003010402420700.htm

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Bhavani row: 'Kerala wants to take water out of basin area'

By T. Ramakrishnan

CHENNAI JAN. 3. Tamil Nadu's opposition to Kerala's move to divert the water of river Bhavani is mainly because the latter wants to take water out of the river basin area.

Tamil Nadu is not against what Kerala is entitled to and the latter can utilise the quantum of water (2.5 tmcft) within the same river basin, as per the Siruvani agreement signed in 1973.

"But, what Kerala is planning to do is to use water for irrigation facilities in Mannarghat area, which is outside the basin," a senior official of Tamil Nadu pointed out.

As per the proposal, a minor irrigation weir is to be constructed in Mukkali, besides a channel leading to Panthanthodu. The cost is estimated at Rs. 88 lakhs.

Originating in the south-west corner of the Nilgiris in the Kunda hills of Tamil Nadu, the river water flows southwards; passes through Kerala for about 50 km; turns eastwards and returns to Tamil Nadu near Koodappatti. Finally, it joins the main river Cauvery at Bhavani town.

Normally, projects on inter-State rivers are taken up after taking concurrence of the basin States.

However, in the given case, this practice has not been adhered to, the officials says, adding that what is more objectionable is that Kerala has not informed the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal too of its project.

"We have come to know it only through media reports", the official says.

On the argument that the Bhavani diversion will not come under the ambit of the Tribunal as the pact was signed three decades ago, the official says even at the time of signing the 1973 pact, the authorities in both the States knew that the 1924 Cauvery agreement would come for a review the next year (1974).

However, they went on to sign it because they did not want to hold the issue of utilising Siruvani water for the settlement of the Cauvery tangle. Moreover, then, the question of sharing Cauvery water had not acquired such serious proportions.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu wonders whether any purpose will be served by holding the meeting of the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) on January 13. The water release from the Mettur reservoir is to be resumed from Saturday and after allowing for dead storage, the present storage will, at best, last a week at a rate of 1.25 tmcft a day.

As on date, the storage is 12 tmcft. But, the requirement for the standing Samba crop is 45 tmcft.

Even if one were to go by the claims of Karnataka that the combined storage in its reservoirs is 21 tmcft, the official says the neighbouring State, after drawing water for its domestic consumption, can spare at least 10 tmcft.