By now the pleading of TN to release Cauvery water, the refusal of Karnataka to do so and the intervention of apex court have all become an annual phenomenon. Politicising the issue, adding regional/linguistic colour to it affecting common people is another thing.
Before accusing the other State or wallowing ourselves in self pity, let us get a glimpse of the water management system in Karnataka.
Origin of talakaveri spring
The State is dotted with numerous canals and reservoirs -- the length of which equals the length of rivers. Designing and building channels for water conveyance seems to be an ongoing task as the State has vast catchment areas and is more concerned about water preservation and efficient management of its aqua resources. They make the maximum utilisation of the Cauvery water.
A view of Kabini dam
Take this: Cauvery's basin covers 43,586 sq km in Tamil Nadu, while it is only 34,273 sq km in its home State. But, the latter has 59 dams on the river (Karnataka has a total of 241 dams) for irrigation and water storage purposes, while TN has just five major dams on the river! I don't see any major construction activity of dams/reserviors/canals after the era of Perunthalaivar Kamarajar.
And, we have already raped our rivers in the name of industrialisation by letting out textile/leather pollutants in to the water sources. One nice example is Bhavani river in Erode and Noyyal river in Coimbatore. Atleast, the latter has been revived thanks to a private co and some NGOs....
A polluted Bhavani river, Erode
As much as it is interested in Cauvery, the State focuses a little on the rivers in North Karnataka. Though building a canal across Tungabhadra or Krishna and channelising those waters to irrigation areas is not possible (as the riverbeds are at a higher altitude), it doesnt mean the State has neglected these rivers. Wherever possible, Karnataka has been constructing dams and reservoirs (read Alamatti dam issue on the river Krishna).
While check-dams are seen there as heroes of watershed development, the State equally focuses on farm ponds improving the agri-activity in slopes and hilly terrains. Government and NGOs have constructed ponds connected by trenches, thus arresting the racing water down the hill and making it to dwell and descend slowly down numerous vertical paths.
Is this post eulogising Karnataka? No, certainly not... We will see the drawbacks as well: Karnataka's gluttony for water comes with its own drawbacks. In its overdrive to preserve all the Cauvery water and irrigate its lands, the KA government seems to have failed to take into consideration its marine resources. It is a rule of thumb that a particular percentage of river water has to be channelised to rivermouths that are home to unique plant and animal communities. River mouths are places of busy activity: it is a place where much of the gravel, sand, silt, and alluvium (clay) carried by a river is deposited forming a triangle-shaped land called delta (Cauvery delta in Tamil Nadu). The rivermouths are often a good place for fishing and are home to dynamic ports and harbours (like the world's busiest Rotterdam port) which lets the maritime activities of a State thrive. But, it seems that Karnataka may soon lose its aqua resources.
Coming back to the point, if Tamil Nadu expects Karnataka to release the Cauvery water after meeting its own needs, TN is not even going to get a drop of water from its neighbour.
Mettur dam (old pic)
Instead of always being at the mercy of neighbouring States for water sharing, it should start practising water conservation measures such as building check dams, dredging the reserviors, etc.
Also, the riparian States (areas that are irrigated by Cauvery, to be specific) can shift from water-intensive crops and take up lesser water-consuming crops such as coarse cereals.
Instead of waiting for the water with a parched throat like the mythical bird Chakravaha, it is high time TN learnt its lesson and prepared to take on the mighty GhandaBerunda bird.
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