The perennial Cauvery River water dispute in southern India has flared up once again, leading to significant unrest and protests. Over 40,000 shops in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur district have shuttered as a demonstration of dissent against Karnataka's refusal to release water to Tamil Nadu, organized by the Cauvery Basic Protection Coalition.
Tensions escalated after the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a unanimous resolution on Monday, urging the Indian government to compel Karnataka to provide Cauvery water in accordance with the directives of the Cauvery Water Management Authority. The resolution is aimed at safeguarding the livelihoods of Cauvery delta farmers, who play a pivotal role in Tamil Nadu's agriculture, said Chief Minister MK Stalin.
Here's a breakdown of key points in the ongoing Cauvery water dispute:
1. The Cauvery River dispute spans across the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry, stemming from historical agreements and competing water-related needs.
2. In 2018, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous verdict that reduced Karnataka's annual water releases from 192 TMC to 177.25 TMC, resulting in a decrease in Tamil Nadu's allocated share.
3. In response to the court's decision, the Indian government established the Cauvery Water Management Authority on June 1, 2018, tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Supreme Court's ruling.
4. On August 14, Tamil Nadu sought the Supreme Court's intervention to press Karnataka into immediately releasing 24,000 cusecs of water from its reservoirs, insisting on adherence to the 36.76 TMC water release for September 2023 as mandated by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's final award in 2007.
5. Karnataka argued that reduced rainfall in the Cauvery catchment area, which includes parts of Kerala, had led to insufficient inflow into its reservoirs. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah explained that Karnataka had traditionally supplied surplus water to Tamil Nadu when available but faced challenges due to unfavorable conditions this year.
6. On September 18, the Cauvery Water Management Authority reaffirmed the necessity for Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days, aligning with a previous order issued by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee on September 12.
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