THE UNEDITED VERSION
Madabhushi Sridharji has written an informative article on the difficulties between the two Telugu states and the involvement of the central government on the issue of Krishna and Godavari rivers. Fresh water will be the reason for future conflict and violence across the world in the future. Timothy Clack, in his book ‘Ancestral Roots’, describes this as ‘War of the World’. Water ‘scarcity’ and ‘stress’ are less than 1000 and 1500 cubic meters of water per person per year respectively. In the next three decades, fresh water coming mainly from rivers, would be a cause for severe fights unless we utilise our technology and environment in a proper manner. Fresh waters make up less than 2.9% of all water on the planet, and of this only 0.007% is accessible for use. An enormous pressure will arise for the world as stark predictions say that by 2050, water stress and scarcity will affect 7 billion people in 60 countries and 2 billion in 48 countries respectively. Chillingly, the global population would be likely 9.2 billion in 2050, so practically there would be strife for the whole world.
River water control is a source of conflict from a district level to an international level. As an informed professor involved in water management tells, river water should be under a central scientific body; ideally one body for each individual river. Each river has a specific way for utilisation without degrading it and without causing an environmental damage. Many factors come into play apart from a simple flow. Though an important consideration, it is rarely an equation of saying that since 50% of the river is in one state, it should get 50% of the river water. That would be a recipe for disaster on a broader scale. The Mekong River Commission is one such example which guides the Mekong River utilisation flowing across six countries starting from China. We do have dedicated water resources scholars in various academic departments across the country who do a serious study of the river waters and give solid proposals. However, all their outputs become invalid as politics take over and neighbours start fighting for its share. The allegations against each other fly thick and fast on the issue of height of dams or the number of canals constructed.
It was perhaps a Constitutional error to make river waters a combined Central and State subject. All kinds of politics and not science now determine how we utilise the precious river waters. The political equations also play a role as the Center allegedly favours one state over another. Madabhushi gently alludes to this in the article. Narrow parochial interests take over the larger interest of the nation while managing water resources. River Jordan is a source of trouble in the Arab world even as China interferes with Brahmaputra, a potential issue in the future between not-so-friendly countries. Narmada, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery are all causes of conflicts between districts, states, and regions in the country today. The fights over water are not surprising. However, the collective humanity does throw up surprises and it may just come together to save the world from the potential ‘water bomb’ of the future, more serious than all previous bombs.
WARS FOR CAUVERY WATERS
RANDOM MUSINGS 