In a bid to address the escalating water-sharing dispute concerning the Cauvery River, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, Lahar Singh Siroya, has extended a formal appeal to Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, MK Stalin, urging him to engage in a constructive dialogue with his Karnataka counterpart, Siddaramaiah.
Siroya’s entreaty comes as the Cauvery Water Monitoring Authority (CWMA) convened an emergency meeting in New Delhi on Monday, marking a pivotal moment in deliberations regarding water allocation in this challenging year.
The Congress and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), although integral components of the INDIA alliance, have yet to convene an official meeting to discuss water-sharing, despite their recent encounter during the alliance’s gathering in Bengaluru.
In his missive to Chief Minister Stalin, Siroya underscored the broader implications of Karnataka’s water needs, emphasizing that they encompass the requirements of numerous Tamil-speaking individuals who reside and work within Karnataka’s borders.
Highlighting the prevalent trend of interstate migration, particularly for employment opportunities, Siroya posited that any discourse on water rights must be conducted with an awareness of these demographic shifts and the associated realities.
The BJP MP’s communication further accentuated the necessity for Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to engage in fraternal cooperation during this distressing situation, urging both states to mutually comprehend each other’s requirements and crises, thereby ensuring the equitable distribution of the limited available water resources.
The current conundrum has emerged due to a deficient monsoon season, resulting in alarmingly low reservoir levels in Karnataka.
Despite Karnataka’s compliance with CWMA’s directives to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu in recent days, the state has now voiced its inability to sustain this allocation, intensifying the urgency of a diplomatic resolution to the Cauvery River water dispute.
In this complex and critical matter, Siroya’s diplomatic overture seeks to foster dialogue and cooperation between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, recognizing that a collective approach to water resource management is the most prudent path forward.
