The dispute at its root is a question of the sharing of the waters of the river Kaveri. While the state of Tamil Nadu has historically enjoyed a vastly greater usage of the waters compared to Karnataka, Karnataka on the other hand, sees it as a grave historic injustice[1] that has been forced upon it. But, it is worth noting that the portion of river is devided as follows; 60% TN 40% KA rest 10% Kerala and pondichery. The genesis of this disparity itself, lies in a two controversial agreements signed in 1892 and then in 1924 between the Madras Presidency and the Princely State of Mysore.
Karnataka claims that these agreements were skewed heavily in favour of the Madras Presidency. It claims that these agreements dealt its own interests a very heavy blow and therefore wants a renegotiated settlement based on equitable sharing of the waters. Tamil Nadu on the other hand, pleads that it has already developed almost 3 million acres of land and as a result has come to depend very heavily on the existing pattern of usage. Any change in this pattern, it says, will adversely affect the livelihood of millions of farmers in the state. It also points to the fact that the rate of development of irrigated land using Kaveri water in Karnataka have suddenly been increasing manifold in recent years.
