Opinion: Is Cauvery verdict boon for farmers of Karnataka or CM Siddaramaiah?

As I sit in Delhi and read the news, I see it being widely reported that Bangalore managed to secure access to additional water from the Cauvery River, resulting in an increase in Karnataka’s share of the river and a corresponding decrease in the share of Tamil Nadu. As much as all politicians from both sides of the political divide in my state rejoice this victory, I find the need for vigilance and course correction for outweighing the instinct to celebrate.

In a recent article by the BBC, which listed cities across the globe that are likely to face a water crisis similar to the ongoing one in Cape Town, I was horrified to see my city listed in it. The very rationale for the Hon’ble Supreme Court to increase water supply to Karnataka and Bengaluru, i.e., the growing population, also represents the alarming situation we have to grapple with. How will the present allocation sustain what will always be a growing population of Bengaluru?

Make no mistake, I am not unhappy with the verdict, but what I am unhappy about is my city’s general approach to water management. Water leakages continue to plague us. The city’s lakes which once ensured water independence and enabled a flourishing green scape have been polluted beyond recognition. Where once borewells yielded water without effort, has now increased efforts at digging borewells across the city yielding little or no water because the construction sector has grown without planning or science. Call me silly, but I strongly feel that in an urban landscape like Bengaluru, if a strong science-driven policy had succeeded, could have donated its share of the water to the farmers who need it more than us. After all, for us, water is utility but for a farmer, water is utility and critical to livelihood.

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Today’s verdict remains a political victory and I suspect it will justify continued complacency of policymakers on the subject of water conservation. But so long as we “fight” for water, we have already lost. As we start 2018, I hope that the next administration in Bengaluru implements city-wide rainwater harvesting system instead of merely advocating building specific rainwater harvesting systems. I certainly hope we can plan our sewage and storm water drains better to aid the success of sewage treatment plants. It would also be nice if our lakes stopped catching fire. Perhaps, on that line of thought, we could encourage the use and rejuvenation of shallow aquifers in the city to ensure water security for individual homes.

The 14.5 TMC of water allotted to us represents a short-term gain, but the long-term vulnerability remains and as a city, we will have to address it. But true victory is the day we revive our forests, conserve water better and recharge shallow aquifers as well as our borewells. The day we stop fighting for water is the day we truly win.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)