The Tribunal Award!

The complex and prolonged issue about sharing of the cauvery waters finally came to an end with the Cauvery Water disputes Tribunal finally coming to a unanimous decision yesterday. According to the award passed on by the tribunal there will be an equittable settlement on the sharing of the resources between the two main disputants , the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Though the initial reaction says that karnataka would be the aggrieved party there are substantial reasons for both the parties to feel good about the final award.

There is one part, Clause VII, of the settlement that may prove to be a loophole of soughts,  a means for anti social elements to take advantage and convert into a futile political agenda.  The Tribunal award says that in the event of an abnormal year where the monsoon did not contribute to the required water levels of the Cauvery Basin the allocated shares would be proportionally reduced. Considering the fact that this contentious issue has always flared up in the event of a distress year, the tribunal should have given extra attention to this fact.

Any settlement for any prolonged and complex issue can never be perfect. However under reasonable criteria , this unanimous decision should prove to be eminently implementable. The parties also should agree to work towards an amicable decision in the event of any future disputes.