Karnataka - Mysore   

Amend Inter-State Water Disputes Act, says Made Gowda

Staff Correspondent

`Governments at the Centre have been favouring Tamil Nadu'

MYSORE: Amendment to the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956, is the only possible way to resolve the Cauvery dispute as all legal channels to get justice are closed, former MP and Cauvery Hita Rakshana Samithi convener G. Made Gowda has said.

Talking to presspersons here on Tuesday, he said that appealing to the Supreme Court would not help in getting justice. Approaching the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal would be a futile exercise as it would not entertain issues that had already deliberated upon.

Hence the only solution would be intervention by the Centre by amending the Act, he argued.

Mr. Made Gowda alleged that the tribunal was set up for political reasons in 1991, and after it had passed its interim order, successive Governments at the Centre had been favouring Tamil Nadu.

Rightful share

Colonial rulers had denied Karnataka its rightful share of Cauvery water. It was because of the late S. Nijalingappa that the State could claim its rights over Cauvery as he was instrumental in implementing the Hemavathi, Kabini and Harangi projects, he said. Accusing the Karnataka Development Front Government of inaction, he said that the Government had not come out with a clear stand on the issue.

Although the Cauvery basin needed 525 tmcft of water to grow sugarcane in 50 lakh acres of land, the tribunal had awarded only 270 tmcft of water. It had failed in taking into consideration the nearly 100 tmcft of ground water and 100 tmcft of water which was being let out to the sea, he said.

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