What is the issue?
- The draft scheme for sharing Cauvery Waters has been presented by the union government to the Supreme Court.
- It is now for the Cauvery basin States to quickly embrace the scheme to avoid further bickering and rioting.
What are the broad contours of the scheme?
- The Centre has finally submitted a draft scheme in the Supreme Court for distribution of Cauvery waters among the riparian States.
- While the centre has given no name for the scheme, it derives largely from the pronouncement of the 2007 Cauvery Tribunal’s.
- It will be a two-tier structure, with an apex body charged with the power to ensure compliance, and a regulation committee that will monitor the flows.
- The powers and functions of the authority are fairly comprehensive and its decisions are intended to be final and binding.
- However, if any States is not cooperative, the authority has to seek the Centre’s help, and the Centre’s decision will be final in such a scenario.
- The authority’s powers include apportionment, supervision of operations of reservoirs and regulation of water releases.
What are some concerns?
- Final Say - The clause involving the central government’s envisioned role in case of non-compliance by any state is tricky.
- While this has been envisioned to solve the problem, there is the possibility of the centre taking a partisan stand in the future due to political considerations.
- Rather, strict compliance with the court’s allocated share of water at all times would be better, instead of leaving situations to the centre’s discretion.
- Differences - There are a few differences between the Cauvery Management Board envisaged by the Tribunal and the authority proposed in the scheme.
- The Tribunal favoured the chairperson being an irrigation engineer with not less than 20 years of experience in water resources management.
- But the present scheme envisions a senior engineer in water resources management or an officer in the rank of “Secretary” at the union level.
- Similarly, the representatives from the four States would be administrators rather than engineers as proposed by the Tribunal.
How does the future look?
- The Cauvery dispute has dragged on for several decades, and it would be unfortunate if the final decision isn’t implemented in letter and spirit.
- All States should agree to the broad contours of this scheme and comply with the authority’s decisions.
- If the proposed draft is implemented, then an issue concerning the livelihood of millions will be taken out of the sensationalist political domain.
Source: The Hindu
