Cauvery authority chief calls for joint river board, smarter water use to end Tamil Nadu-Karnataka impasse
The chairperson of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), Saumitra Kumar Haldar, has urged the basin States to adopt more efficient agricultural and water management practices and to consider forming a unified river board to own, operate, and regulate reservoirs across the entire Cauvery basin. Such an institution, he argued, could help resolve the long-running dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the sharing of river water.
In an interview with The Hindu on Tuesday evening, Mr. Haldar said that after the initial southwest monsoon forecast in April indicated unfavourable conditions, he had advised the basin States to conserve available water and use it judiciously. He stressed that in times of distress, curtailing water supply for irrigation may become necessary, citing the Tungabhadra Board's decision to withhold irrigation water during the current kharif season. The board oversees inter-State projects involving Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana.
Explaining the reality of water availability, Mr. Haldar noted that in a normal year, the Cauvery's yield is assessed at 740 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) at 50% dependability. This means, he said, that water may not be available in five out of ten years. During such deficit years, he suggested that water should be prioritised for drinking purposes, livestock, and environmental flows, rather than for irrigation.
The CWMA chief also revived the idea of a dedicated river board for the Cauvery, as originally recommended by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT). He pointed to the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) as a model—an institution that functions as a basin authority rather than merely a regulatory body. The BBMB, comprising representatives from Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab, with its chief appointed by the Union government, owns, operates, manages, and regulates projects. It takes joint decisions on water allocation and scheduling, and synchronises irrigation needs with power generation.
Mr. Haldar also cited the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) in eastern India, which covers Jharkhand and West Bengal and operates power plants across the basin. Once the DVC releases water, the States use it through their own canal systems in a coordinated manner. He described such comprehensive institutions as the most effective setup for basin management.
When asked about the consequence of a State refusing to comply with the CWMA's directions, Mr. Haldar said the only available recourse for an aggrieved State is to approach the Supreme Court. He recalled that in 2023, when Karnataka challenged an Authority decision, the court not only upheld the CWMA's position but also directed the upper riparian State to implement the decision.
The Cauvery water dispute, rooted in decades-old agreements and competing agricultural demands, remains a sensitive issue for millions of farmers in both States. While the CWMA continues to issue monthly water release orders, experts have long argued that lasting peace requires a more integrated approach to water governance—one that includes modern irrigation techniques, crop diversification, and a robust institutional framework. Mr. Haldar's remarks add weight to that view, even as political and legal hurdles remain.
