River water disputes call for surgery: Karunanidhi

New Delhi, May 29: Warning that lingering inter-state disputes on sharing of river waters could threaten the integrity of the nation, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take immediate steps for nationalisation of rivers running across states.

As the existing institutional arrangments seemed to have ''broken down'' nationalisation offered the ''only long-term solution to this serious problem. I urge the Prime Minister to initiate action on this,'' Mr Karunanidhi said in his address at the 53rd National Development Council (NDC) meeting.

He also sought inclusion and funding of the proposed project for inter-linking of peninsular rivers as part of the agriculture strategy of the 11th Plan as the feasibility studies had concluded that the venture was technically possible and economically viable.

Pointing out that Tamil Nadu had been depending on neighbouring Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh for its requirements of water for drinking and agriculture, he said mutual agreements, Tribunal and judicial pronouncements had failed to protect the interests of his state.

''We have been talking of haves and have-nots for long; but these surplus states have been reluctant to spare the natural resource to their sister-state, which is very much water-starved. This does not speak well of our federal structure,'' the Chief Minister said.

Mr Karunanidhi said ''surgery'' was called for resolving the present crisis, but even a ''healing dose'' had not been made available so far to Tamil Nadu.

''Therefore I plead with the Union Government to come forward to lend support to Tamil Nadu, which is in dire need of water, without causing any strain in its age-old relationship with its neighbouring states,'' he said.

He said the UPA government had committed in the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) to take all steps for an amicable settlement of inter-state water disputes at the earliest.

''But the existing institutional arrangements for managing inter-state rivers seem to have broken down. Unless we create effective institutional arrangements, sharing of river waters is likely to become a source of internal conflict,'' he pointed out.

''If it is not attended to properly and in time, it could threaten the integrity of the nation in the decades to come.'' The Chief Minister also urged the Centre to declare Tamil Nadu as a separate agro-climatic region, in addition to the 15 classified by the NDC Sub-Committee, recognising the special circumstances of the state and the gravity of the situation in the field.

Also, the Centre should extend Special Central Assistance for a scheme to promote agro-forestry, horticulture and water-efficient crops in Tamil Nadu.

UNI

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