Cauvery--News Analysis

Many positives amidst few negatives in Cauvery Order for Karnataka

Despite the strong reactions from Karnataka politicians across the spectrum to the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, and the demand for its review, there are several positives which emerge out of it, apart from the few negatives.

One of the positives is that Karnataka will now be allowed to store and utilise surplus water in the basin, after it ensures the flow of 192 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) to Tamil Nadu. This would mean that Karnataka would have to build another reservoir at the border of the two States. The place talked about for long is Mekedatu, where Karnataka will not be able to produce power, but only store surplus water and also ensure efficient drinking water supply to Bangalore and its neighbouring towns. Read More...

A Multi-dimensional mess in Karnataka

The fading winter of 2006 was action-filled in the nation's capital. After more than a year and half of dull politics on the Karnataka front, suddenly it all came alive on Feb.1 morning, when the BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu called a press conference. The air was thick with rumours and speculations about the possibility of BJP forming a government with a breakaway group of the Janata Dal(S) lead by its chief, H.D.Deve Gowda's son, H.D.Kumaraswamy.

The press conference was arranged to present the younger Gowda to the media and announce triumphantly the formation of the first BJP government in the south of India. But that was not to be. After hectic phone calls and confabulations between the BJP leaders including B.S.Yediyurappa, Naidu, and Ananth Kumar, among others, it was decided that the only excitement that the journalists could be dished out that day was the impressive spread of dishes on the lawns.Read More...