16/09/2016

EcologyWatchcolumn:WhentheriverweepsTheHindu

OPINIONCOLUMNS

September16,2016
ECOLOGYWATCH

Whentheriverweeps
HariniNagendra

HariniNagendra
WeneedtofindwaystorechargetheCauvery,increaseinflowofwaterandefficiencyofwateruse,andcleanuphotspotsofpollution.
AgitationsoverthedistributionofwaterintheCauveryriverarenotneworsurprisinggiventheextremedependenceonagriculturaland
economicactivityintheriverbasin.KarnatakaandTamilNaduarefightingoverwaterinadryingriver,payinglittleattentiontoframing
longtermsolutions.
SouthIndiahasalwaysbeenhighlydependentonthemonsoon,whichisuncertainandrisky.Overthepastfewdecades,thesouthwest
monsoonhasbecomeunpredictableandhasreducedinintensity.WhatdoesthismeanfortheCauvery?Theamountofwatertheriver
receivesduringthesummerrainsisbecomingincreasinglyunreliable.Ingoodyears,whentheriverreceivesenoughrainfall,thereisno
discordbetweenthetwoStates.Inbadyears,liketheonewearefacingnow,itturnsintoagargantuanpoliticalcrisis.Unfortunately,the
numberofbadyearsisonlygoingtoworsen.
Landuse
TheCauveryriversfertilebasinhasencouragedthegrowthofforests,agricultureandindustry,allofwhichcoexistinanuneasymannerand
arenowthreatened.Weneedtopayattentiontolanduseattheregionallevel.Denseforestcoveroncehelpedreducethelikelihoodofflash
flooding,retainingwateronhillslopestoenableslowpercolationandrechargeofthetributaries.Deforestationacrossthebasinhas
contributedtoreductioninrainfall,soilerosion,andflooding,withhundredsofthousandsoftreesbeingdecimatedtomakewayfor
plantations,urbanconstruction,andagriculture.Intheplaceofforests,plantationsofwaterhungrytreessuchaseucalyptusandacaciaare
furtherreducingthewatertable.InCoorg,localgroupshaveagitatedagainstthefellingoflakhsoftreesfortheconstructionofanewrailway
linefromMysuru,andahightensionpowerline.Theyhavereceivedlittlesupportfromthelocalandnationaladministrationdespite
warningoftheeffectontheriver.Thesearenotisolatedincidentsdeforestationiswidespreadalongthelengthandbreadthoftheriver.Tree
clearingisnowthreateningevenpreviouslyprotectedsitesonmountainheightsandsteepslopes,sensitivezoneswheresoilerosionfurther
impactsriverrecharge.
Rapidurbanisationhasconvertedfertileagriculture,forestsandwetlandsintoconcretedareasthatareunabletoretainrainwaterorchannel
themintotributarystreamsthatfeedtheCauvery.Urbanisationdemandsconcreteconcreterequiressand.Inthedistrictssurroundingthe
Cauvery,rampantsandmininghasalteredthenaturaltopographyoftheriver,erodingitsbanks,wideningtheriver,andalteringwaterflow
patterns.Despitewarningsfromenvironmentalistgroupsandfarmercoalitions,andinterventionsbythecourt,thispracticecontinues
unchecked.Itisnosurprisethatthewellsthatreplenishfarmsacrossthebasinarerunningdryorthatdesperatefarmersarereducedto
abandoningagricultureandrentingtheirfarmstosandcontractorsforsandstorage,thusbecomingcomplicitintheirowndestruction.
Thelargenumberofdamsacrosstherivercontributetoasignificantdecreaseintheriverscapacityforwaterstorage.Siltationindamsand
connectingriverchannelshasreachedalarmingproportions.IndustriesalongtheCauveryanditstributariessendlargevolumesofpolluted
waterthat,farfrombeingofusetofarmers,destroytheirlandbeyondredemption.Thereisnofarmingactivityforkilometresonthesideof
tributariessuchastheNoyyal,pollutedbyTiruppurstextileindustry.Thetoxicsludgefromindustrialeffluentsbuildsupontheriverbed,
furtherreducingitscapacityforstorage.Despiteabundantdiscussion,governmentfundingfordesiltationoftheriverschannelsremains
conspicuousbyitsabsence.
Changesinagriculturalpatterns
Widespreadchangesinfarmingandagriculturalpatternsexacerbatetheproblem.Onceanareaofmilletcultivation,theCauverybasinhas
transformedintoalocationforthecultivationofhighyieldpaddyandsugarcane,bothwaterintensivecrops.Thereneedstobearedesignof
thefarmingsystem,keepinginmindinparticularthewaterrequirementsofthecropsplantedaftertheonsetofthesouthwestmonsoon.
WhatareKarnatakaandTamilNaduplanningtodointermsofdevelopingmorewatersmartagriculturalstrategies?Thereislittle
discussiononthis.Thoughapoliticallychargedtopic,itisonethatmustbeaddressedthroughconversationswithfarmerswhoseemwell
awareoftheseissues.Theyneedbetteralternativesandgreaterstateassistanceinfacilitatingexplorationsofalternativecroppingstrategies,
includinganexaminationofapossiblereturntomilletfarming(whichismorenutritiousaswellaswaterefficient),ortomulticroppingof
vegetables,oreventothedevelopmentofmorewaterefficientvarietiesofpaddy.
WhileKarnatakaandTamilNadustruggletofindworkablesolutionstothedistributionofwaterintheriverduringyearsofdrought,the
writingonthewallisclear.Asclimatechangemakesitsimpactvisible,wearegoingtofacemanymoreseasonsofdroughtandpointsof
conflict.Itisimportantthatwethinklongtermandinacoordinatedfashionacrossthebasin.Weneedtofindwaystorechargetheriver,
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/ecologywatchcolumnwhentheriverweeps/article9111687.ece

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16/09/2016

EcologyWatchcolumn:WhentheriverweepsTheHindu

increaseinflowofwater,cleanuphotspotsofpollution,andincreasetheefficiencyofwateruse.Forthis,wemusttakeupafforestationalong
theriveronawarfooting,movetowaterefficientcropping,limitindustrialpollutionofrivers,banexcessivesandmining,andlimitthe
growingconsumptionofwaterforcitiesandtownsalongtheriver.Thisrequiresconversationandcooperationacrossthebasin,notreactive
conflict.GiventhepoliticallychargedminefieldthattheCauverywatersharingissuehasbecome,canwehopeforreasoned,concerted
action?
HariniNagendraisaProfessorofSustainabilityatAzimPremjiUniversity.

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/ecologywatchcolumnwhentheriverweeps/article9111687.ece

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