Scientific distress-sharing formula key to ending dispute

Cauvery river water crisis in Karnataka has renewed calls for a permanent scientific distress-sharing formula for drought years.

The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award, modified by the Supreme Court in 2018, settled allocations for normal years but did not prescribe a detailed mechanism for sharing distress.

In the absence of a codified mechanism, the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) make case-specific decisions, leading to protests, litigation, and political confrontation.

Karnataka, as the upper riparian state, seeks weightage for real-time reservoir levels and rainfall, while Tamil Nadu argues that its delta farmers depend on scheduled releases.

Water expert S Vishwanath says updated studies on siltation, reliable rainfall forecasts, and transparent real-time hydrological data are essential for a formula that commands confidence.