The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Cauvery final award "just, equitable"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 26, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Cauvery final award "just, equitable"

Special Correspondent

Centre for Cauvery Delta Development Studies inaugurated

— Photo: M. Srinath

EXCHANGING IDEAS: N.R. Krishnan, former Secretary, Government of India (right), having a word with N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief, The Hindu , at the inauguration of the Centre for Cauvery Delta Development Studies in Thanjavur on Sunday. S. Ranganathan, chairman of the centre (left) and C. Thangamuthu, Vice-Chancellor, Bharathidasan University are in the picture.

THANJAVUR: The final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal is a just and equitable settlement of an extremely contentious issue, which defied conciliation for years together, said N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief, The Hindu , here today.

Inaugurating the Centre for Cauvery Delta Development Studies (CCDDS), Mr. Ram said such a settlement of the protracted and complex issue was not likely to please all sides equally.

However, by all reasonable criteria — legal, historical, socio-economic, agronomic, political — the final award was just and equitable. It was a breakthrough. This time dissent from Karnataka was also different from earlier occasions. Karnataka could take the legal route and ask for explanation. But there was no question of extra constitutional ways, he said.

Another important aspect of the final award was that it was unanimous. Had it been divided, we would have been in trouble. By asking the upper riparian State to make available 182 thousand million cubic ft of water to the lower riparian State, the final award clearly met the minimum expectations of Tamil Nadu, he said.

With respect to the 192 tmcft of water to be released, there was distinct improvement in the final award as to where it should be measured. It specified that it should be measured at the Billigundlu measuring station, which is maintained by the Central Water Commission, and is "world class."

Commending the establishment of the CCDDS at Thanjavur, Mr. Ram said it was high time to move away from the Cauvery dispute obsession. The CCDDS was unique in focusing on a specific area of the Cauvery region.

Mapping of the region could be done by economic geographers. Resurvey of villages to be taken up by the CCDDS would help in understanding the agrarian relations.

He called for inputs from scholars of the centre and to influence government policy.

He said the media could play an important role with respect to covering food-related issues. It should also cover mass deprivation. The centre could give training to mediapersons in understanding these issues. The Hindu would support such an exercise, Mr. Ram said.

He also said the centre should play a role in agenda building.

Dr.C. Thangamuthu, Vice-Chancellor, Bharathidasan University, said tourism was going to be the major breadwinner in Thanjavur district. The university would help in starting postgraduate diploma courses planned by the centre.

Call for micro studies

N.R.Krishnan, former Secretary, Government of India, called on the centre to take up micro studies in the delta region, as it was not homogenous.

Prof. G. Chidambaram, Managing trustee of CCDS, presented the objectives of the centre.

Mannargudi S. Ranganathan, Chairman of the centre, welcomed the gathering.

T. Govindaraj, Director of the centre, spoke.

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