Date:14/07/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/07/14/stories/2003071400521005.htm

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Water disputes

Sir, — Several decades-old inter-State water disputes defy resolution in the current scenario of regional power politics. But disputes over water are not only between States, as farmers of neighbouring districts in the same State, Mahbubnagar and Kurnool districts in Andhra Pradesh, have clashed over the Tungabhadra water. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu, is blaming Karnataka for over-drawing water from Tungabhadra and causing the inter-district row, thus intensifying the dispute over Alamatti and Chitravathi.

With reduced flow in rivers and growing water demand, disputes are on the increase country-wide. Governments are bound to act in favour of the people of their State, and inter-river basin links between or even within States can only intensify the disputes.

S.G. Vombatkere,
Mysore