Put an end to the Cauvery dispute

The court has shown the way and the Centre must act now

On Monday, the Supreme Court pulled up the Centre — and rightly so — for failing to obey its February 16 order to set up a scheme to distribute Cauvery water among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. In February, the court had asked the Centre to come up with a scheme to implement its water-sharing formula by

March 29. The expectation among most was that this meant the creation of a Cauvery Water Management Board. Last week, the Centre requested a three-month extension which was not granted by the apex court. The court, on Monday, gave the central government time till May 3 to submit a draft scheme. Given the volatile nature of the dispute and the previous instances in which protests over the water sharing have turned violent — for example, Assocham estimated that the 2016 protests cost Karnataka ₹25,000 crore — the Centre should have acted promptly. The decades-old Cauvery dispute mainly between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka has economic, agrarian and political implications. Given this fact, the Centre’s inaction has to a large extent contributed to the present series of protests by almost all political parties in Tamil Nadu.

Throughout last week, political parties, including the states’ ruling AIADMK, held protests against what they claimed was the Centre’s bias in favour of Karnataka. On Sunday, it was the turn of the Tamil film industry to protest, and actors-turned-politicians Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan extended their support to the cause. The latest target of the protesters’ ire is the Indian Premier League, BCCI’s Twenty20 tournament, with many parties demanding that no IPL match be held in Chennai. This is an unproductive stand and does not serve any purpose. Mr Rajinikanth’s suggestion that spectators, even players, sport a black band as a mark of protest is a more acceptable, non-violent way to raise the issue.

It is hoped that the Centre does not procrastinate any further and carries out the responsibility the apex court has entrusted to it. Procrastination and politics have proved a drag on the Cauvery issue. The court has shown a way out and it should be taken.