KRRS urges distress-sharing formula as permanent fix for Cauvery water dispute

The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) on Tuesday called for a distress-sharing formula as the only permanent solution to the decades-old Cauvery water dispute, urging immediate steps to evolve a mechanism for sharing water among the riparian states during periods of scarcity.

At a press conference in Mysuru, KRRS leader Badagalapura Nagendra said the recurring conflict between the Cauvery basin states is largely due to the absence of such a formula in both the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award and the subsequent verdict by the Supreme Court. "This gap has repeatedly triggered friction among the riparian states whenever rainfall is deficient," he said.

The Cauvery dispute, involving Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, is one of India's oldest inter-state water conflicts. The tribunal was constituted in 1990 to adjudicate the matter, and its final award was delivered in 2007. The Supreme Court modified the award in 2018, but the mechanism for sharing water during deficit years has remained a contentious issue, leading to recurring protests and legal battles.

To address the issue, Mr. Nagendra put forward three proposals. First, he urged the Union government to convene a meeting of the Chief Ministers of the four basin states to evolve a distress-sharing formula. Second, he suggested that the Chief Ministers could arrive at such a formula through direct mutual discussions, without central intervention. Third, should the impasse persist, he proposed the constitution of a separate tribunal exclusively tasked with framing a distress-sharing mechanism.

As part of the effort, Mr. Nagendra said the KRRS is proposing to revive the 'Cauvery Family', an earlier forum of farmers from the four basin states, meant to facilitate people-to-people dialogue on the issue. Preliminary discussions on relaunching the initiative would be held shortly, he added.

He also noted that there is a pressing need to revisit the existing water-sharing formula altogether in view of the declining water yield in the Cauvery basin in recent years.

In a separate matter, the KRRS leader opposed the state government's move to permit BE (Biotechnology) graduates to be considered for appointment to the posts of Assistant Agriculture Officer and Agriculture Officer. Contending that biotechnology engineering graduates do not study agriculture-related subjects to an extent that qualifies them for these positions, he said they are not eligible for posts in the Agriculture Department. He alleged that the government had succumbed to pressure from corporates and demanded immediate withdrawal of the permission.

The KRRS has extended its full support to the protest being organised by agriculture graduates at Freedom Park, Bengaluru, on Wednesday (August 5), against the government's decision.

Referring to the nation-wide agitation on the lines of the Quit India Movement called by Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Joint Trade Unions on August 10, Mr. Nagendra said farmers, Dalits, workers, women, students and youth will participate in the protests and court arrest in different district headquarters of the state. The agitation is aimed at protesting against the alleged anti-farmer and anti-worker policies of the government, he said.