Bengaluru bandh today: Cauvery water dispute straining Karnataka-Tamil Nadu ties explained

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Monday said his government will not curtail the “Bengaluru bandh" called by some farmers' organisations on Tuesday as protests over the release of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu have intensified.

Earlier this week, Siddaramaiah urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step in and help mediate the dispute between the two states regarding the Cauvery matter. “The prime minister has the authority to summon the two states and hear their arguments. Given this context, we have appealed for the Prime Minister’s intervention,” he said.

The directive from the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) instructed Karnataka to extend the release of 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for an additional 15 days.

However, officials stated that there was a lack of available water to comply with this order.

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What is the CWMA order?

The CWMA's directive mandated Karnataka to maintain the discharge of 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for an additional 15 days. However, officials have stated that there is an insufficient water supply available for this release.

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been in a longstanding dispute over the allocation of Cauvery river water dating back to the British colonial period. A resolution was reached in 1924 when the princely state of Mysore and the presidency of Madras agreed to a compromise.

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The agreement permitted Mysore to construct a dam in Kannambadi village for the storage of 44.8 thousand million cubic feet of water, with a review scheduled to take place after 50 years. Nevertheless, following Independence, both states brought the dispute to the Supreme Court multiple times, but no resolution was achieved.

Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT)

In 1990, the government established the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) with the aim of settling water disputes among the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Puducherry. The CWDT issued a temporary directive to Karnataka, mandating the release of 205 million cubic feet of water to Tamil Nadu on a monthly or weekly basis.

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After the CWMA's directive to release water to Tamil Nadu, prominent Congress leaders in Karnataka assert that there is no extra water accessible for release. “Let’s set aside party politics and stand united in protecting our state, language, water, land, and culture. The situation has become critical, and there is no distress formula in place,” said Siddaramaiah.

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Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar, who oversees the water resources portfolio, stated that they possess only one-third of the necessary water amount.

“We don’t even have water for drinking. We have discussed (this) with all parliament members, who assured us that they are going to support our fight. We are pressing it before the Supreme Court to give us justice. I hope justice will be given to us,” Shivakumar added.

Supreme Court declines to intervene

On Thursday, the Supreme Court declined to take action regarding the CWMA's directive instructing the government to discharge 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu. A three-judge panel stated that it had no intention of considering Tamil Nadu's appeal challenging the CWMA's decision.

The bench emphasized that the CWMA and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) must thoroughly assess crucial factors such as drought conditions and insufficient rainfall before issuing any directives. Consequently, the Supreme Court upheld its stance of not intervening in the order instructing Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu.

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Durai Murugan, a prominent DMK leader from Tamil Nadu, stated that Karnataka has consistently rejected any suggestions put forth by Tamil Nadu regarding the Cauvery water-sharing conflict. He further emphasized that whatever rights Tamil Nadu has secured in this matter have been obtained through legal recourse, specifically by taking the issue to the Supreme Court.

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda expressed the belief that the ongoing "dispute" between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu cannot be resolved through legal means. Instead, he suggested that a solution can only be reached when both parties engage in direct negotiations and discussions.

Amid the ongoing dispute over Cauvery water-sharing, Kannada actors Darshan Thoogudeepa and Kichcha Sudeep also expressed their concerns regarding the need for a solution to the issue.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Sudeep wrote, “Our Cauvery is our right. I believe that the government which has won with so much consensus will not abandon the people who believe in Kaveri. I demand that the experts formulate a strategy immediately and give justice. I also have my voice in the land-water-language struggle. May Mother Kaveri protect Karunad.”

(With inputs from agencies)