Kaveri - the River of Contention

KAVERI – THE RIVER OF CONTENTION

M.R. Rajagopalan

Ancient and recent Tamil literature is full of references to Kaveri as the Mother or Provider of the Chola Country – coprising its delta area spread over the old Thanjavur, and parts of Tiruchirappalli and South Arcot districts of Tamil Nadu. Fifty per cent of the paddy produced in Tamil Nadu comes from this area. Almost the entire deficit of Kerala has traditionally been met from the Kuruvai or the short term crop harvested in October-November. The long term crop harvested in December-January was used for local consumption.

Thalai Kaveri situated in Brahmagiri area of the Western Ghats in Karnataka is the place of origin of this river. It travels 381 km in Karnataka and enters Tamil Nadu in the form of a waterfall at Hogenakkal in Dharmapuri district. After passing through the districts of Salem, Erode, Karur, Tiruchirappalli and Thanjavur – covering a distance of 421km it enters the Bay of Bengal at Puhar.

There are three major tributaries of this river. The first one is Kabini which originates from the Western Ghats in Kerala and merges with Kaveri in Karnataka area. Bhavani and Amaravati are the other two tributaries of this river in Tamil Nadu area.

Due to the confluence of Amaravati and a minor tributary Noyyal on the borders of Tiruchirappalli district the river widens and gets a name as Kaveri the wide one or Wide Kaveri. Sixteen km west of Tiruchirappalli town at Elamanoor the river branches in two viz. Kaveri and Kollidam. In 1832, the British constructed regulators directing the flow of water in two branches.

The famous Kallanai – meaning stone-dam constructed by the Chola King Karikalan prior to the first millennium lies at a distance of thirteen km east of Tiruchirappalli town. At this point the two rivers Kaveri and Kollidam flow side by side. Kaveri flows at an elevation. The stone dam was constructed to prevent the flow of Kaveri waters from entering into Kollidam during floods. During the British period (around 1832) the Kallanai was further strengthened and the flow of water was regulated. At this point Kaveri branches into Vennaru and Kaveri. Kollidam is the third branch. Kaveri is again divided into Kudamurutti, Arasalaru, Manniaru, and Veeracholan Aru. Vennaru divides into Vadavaru, Varttaru, Vellaiaru, Koraiaru and Paminiaru. (The word aru in Tamil means river.) These rivers ir branches comprise the Kaveri Delta spread over 3200 sq.km. Some of these branches merge before entering the Bay of Bengal, one or two branches travel through Karaikkal area lying in the Union Territory of Puducherry during their journey towards the Bay of Bengal.

Whenever there is a flood in Kaveri, waters are diverted into Kollidam (The word Kol in Tamil means hold and idam means place.) This holding place remains empty in the absence of floods in Kaveri. Drainage water from the delta area is diverted into Kollidam. The huge Veeranam Lake situated in South Arcot district gets its water supply from Kollidam.

According to the Report of the Fact Finding Committee, 39% of the irrigated area in Tamil Nadu gets its water from Kaveri. In Karnataka area, this percentage is eleven.

The Dispute

In the 12^th century the king of Mysore constructed a dam across Kaveri. Raja Rajan the Second who was then ruling the Chola Nadu (Kaveri Delta) – marched into Mysore area and destroyed the dam.

In the 17^th century a dam was again constructed across the river by the Mysore king. The Maratha ruler of Thanjavur assisted by Rani Mangammal of Madurai got ready for an attack on Mysore. But there was a huge downpour that burst the dam and the army did not have to march across.

In 1794 Tippu Sultan laid the foundation stone for a dam across Kaveri. Before the dam could be constructed his rule was ended by the British and a Wodeyar was installed as the king of Mysore.

Between 1807 and 1866 the Mysore kingdom made repeated requests to the Madras government for construction of a dam across Kaveri. Their request was turned down. However, small irrigation systems were permitted in 1866.

Due to persistent efforts of the English engineers of Mysore an agreement was reached in 1892 for the construction of a dam at Kannambadi (the famous Krishnaraj Sagar) subject to some conditions. Soon afterwards the Madras government complained to the Central government at Calcutta stating that the Mysore government was not adhering to the conditions agreed to. In 1916, an arbitrator was appointed by the Central government to look into the dispute.

At long las in the year 1924 an agreement was signed between the Madras and Mysore governments on sharing the waters of the river Kaveri. The significant implication was that the right of Tamil Nadu for the waters of Kaveri was legally established. Mysore government was accorded permission to proceed with the construction of the Krishnaraja Sagar dam at Kannambadi, the area of irrigation being 1,55,000 acres. Madras government got the green signal for the dam at Mettur – the area of irrigation being 3,01,000 acres.

Subject to some conditions both the governments were also permitted to store the waters in the tributaries. The dams at Krishnaraja Sagar and Mettur became functional in 1934. There was a mutual agreement between Mysore and Madras governments to ensure the flow of Kaveri waters from Mysore into Tamil Nadu.

No problem arose in sharing the waters until 1947 – when the British departed and India became free. Mysore subsequently became Karnatka State and old Madras Presidency was divided into Andhra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka States. The new Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments started many irrigation projects in their areas in gross violation of the 1924 agreement. Both the States accused each other as the culprit. Tamil Nadu scored over Karnataka as being the first to take up the dispute to the Central government. It complained against the construction of a dam across the river Kabini and wanted the construction to be stopped.

In 1971 the Government of India took up the matter with the Supreme Court requesting for the appointment of a Tribunal to decide the sharing arrangement of the waters of Kaveri. Nothing happened. In the meanwhile talks and mutual bickering between the government officers, ministers, and chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka continued like a TV serial for the entertainment of the people. Only persons not entertained were the farmers of the Kaveri delta who did not get adequate water for the cultivation of paddy.

A Turning Point

One Mr. Renganathan from the town Mannargudi formed an association of Kaveri Delta Farmers and filed a Writ in the Supreme Court on 18.11.1983 appealing for the appointment of a tribunal for sharing the Kaveri waters. After a series of hearings – wherein the Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments presented their views – a tribunal consisting of three judges of High Courts was formed on 02.06.1990. The tribunal gave its interim award in 1991. The important stipulations are:

1. Karnataka should release 205 TMC of Kaveri water annually (TMC – thousand million cubic feet. This quantity is adequate for 75% of the irrigated area in the delta.)

2. The flow of water was determined month-wise and week-wise. If there was a shortfall in one week it should be made good in the subsequent week.

3. Karnataka should not extend its irrigated area beyond 11.2 lakh acres.

4. Tamil Nadu should give 6 TMC of water to Puducherry.

During the past 11 years this award has been observed only in the breach. More than 205 TMC of water flowed into Tamil Nadu area during many years only because of floods and Karnataka could not stop it! When there was no flood, Karnataka refused to give water as it is doing now in the year 2001. Nevertheless, the drama of meetings at the levels of officers, ministers, chief ministers and prime ministers, writ in the Supreme Court etc. is being enacted year after year wasting tax payers’ money to no purpose.

Some observations are pertinent at this juncture.

In the eyes of Tamilians Karnataka is the villain. But the reality is that Karnataka gets rain only from the South West Monsoon whereas the delta area of Tamil Nadu gets rains during the South West as well as North East monsoons. On quite a few occasions, due to the failure of the South West Monsoon Karnataka did not have adequate water for their own use. Even on such occasions the politicians of Tamil Nadu have been insisting that the Karnataka government should release water according to the award of the Tribunal.

However, as on date (October 2001) Karnataka does have adequate water and can conveniently release 20-25 TMC, but it is refusing to release – playing politics.

Generally speaking, in both the States too much water is wasted in paddy cultivation. For political reasons, economy in the use of water is neither practised nor encouraged.

In the Delta area of Tamil Nadu the area under paddy could be reduced by 10 or 15% and pulses, groundnut, cotton etc requiring much less water could be grown. The level of paddy cultivation could be maintained by improved methods of cultivation.

Till the sixties, not only the delta area, but entire Tamil Nadu was full of tanks and lakes, large and small. Many of them had inlets from the river and outlets for excess water. During the past four decades not only the maintenance of these tanks was ignored but the catchment/inlet areas and, in several cases, the tanks themselves were encroached upon and with the blessings of politicians the encroachers got pattas. With the result, once the rainy season is over these tanks and lakes become dry. The wells in the area also become dry. It is time that the people and the District Administration in the delta area wake up and start maintaining the tanks and lakes.

Rain water harvesting should be undertaken on a large scale. A beginning could be made in all government buildings and those of the educational institutions. Permit/licence for new constructions should be given on the condition of provision of rain water harvesting facility. In the land area under cultivation one acre out of every 20 acres could be converted into a pond for the storage of water.

If these suggestions are given effect to, Tamil Nadu need not depend on Karnataka. Unfortunately, the peasants of Tamil Nadu want the government to do everything. The politicians of Tamil Nadu with their hearts in their mouths promise to do everything. The peasants of the delta are divided by caste as well as by political affiliation. Such a situation is exploited by the ruling cliques in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

If the cultivators – who are the main beneficiaries – of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu come together and sit across the table for a talk with an open mind, a solution is possible. But it is a very big IF!

Now a few words about the pollution of the river: Starting at Thalai Kaveri in Karnataka the river covers a distance of 381 km in Karnataka and 421 km in Tamil Nadu. More than sixty industrial establishments and sugar factories release their effluents into the river in Karnataka area. The tributary Kabini and the rivulets Lakshmana Thirtham and Hemavathi merge into Kaveri in Karnataka area after ingesting the sewerage of several towns and villages. The waters of Kaveri enter Tamil Nadu with a certificate that it is not fit for human or cattle consumption.

At Mettur Kaveri is welcomed by the effluents of the Industrial estates, Pesticide factories, Leather factories, Dye Houses, Caustic Soda and Bleaching powder factories, Liquid Chlorine, Vanaspati, PVC, Aluminium factories etc. etc. It is difficult to determine which effluent is more poisonous!

Originating in the Western Ghats the main tributary Bhavani carries with it the effluents of Photo Film Factory, Chordite factory, Protein products factory, Viscose factory, Soya and Sugar factories and Dye houses. In fact, Bhavani has the dubious distinction of being the most polluted river of the nation. It merges with Kaveri at Kooduthurai in Erode district.

Near Karur, at the border of Tiruchirappalli district, the tributary Amaravati and the rivulet Noyyal merge with Kaveri. Between them they carry the effluents of the dye houses at Tiruppur and Karur.

Near Tiruchirappalli the Tamil Nadu News Print Factory makes its generous contribution for the pollution of the waters of Kaveri. In Tiruchirappalli town the distillery fulfils its obligations. Then there is the pollution by the drainage systems of various towns and villages because, in any case, it is the usual practice all over India.

The Kaveri water has been certified unfit for human consumption even before it enters Tamil Nadu. If the present quantum of pollution in Tamil Nadu area continues unchecked, the day is not far, when it would become unfit even for irrigation purposes. The people of Tamil Nadu and the government should wake up and take steps to arrest the pollution of the disputed waters of Kaveri.

(Source: Frontier, Jan. 6-12, 2002)