Morover, every year Karnataka gets more rainfall due to south west monsoon along the western ghats similar to kerala whereas TN is in water shadow region but gets from North east monsoon primarily by cyclones. About 8 years back,the north east monsoon failed and karnataka failed to release even half of the allocated water, farmers were at the verge of collapse as all the three types of paddy crops destryed due to severe drought. TN Govt again came to the rescue by waiving all the loans provided by Tamilnadu Cooperative societies. The good thing is that TN farmers never borrow money from money lenders and hence survive even during acute crisis.
RE:Crisis
by uttam rao on Apr 05, 2008 07:20 PM Permalink
Districts of Mysore, Chamarajnagar, Mandya, Bangalore, Hassan (partial) and Tumkur are in rain-shadow area and not the other way round. Correct your facts. Your argument is based on an incorrect premise. Kerala type rain is enjoyed by Western districs only and not by rain shadow regions in KN. How about excessive ground water enjoyed by TN districs which is absent in KN?
RE:Crisis
by saigeetha jagannathan on Apr 05, 2008 07:44 PM Permalink
Though they are rain shadow regions, they get good rainfall due to their good elevation to facilaite more precipitation. So naturally There districts are well off than 80% of TN's arid landscape.
RE:RE:Crisis
by saigeetha jagannathan on Apr 05, 2008 07:47 PM Permalink
You must be aware that elevation facilitates good condensattion of water vapour in the atmosphere. This is true with the mentioned districts by you and it is proved with analysis of Global Positioning System derived coordinates
RE:RE:RE:Crisis
by saigeetha jagannathan on Apr 05, 2008 07:55 PM Permalink
Groundwater levels vary with place to place with each state. Your argument doesn't hold true for all TN's cauvery districts. For example,if you take Dharmapuri, salem districts, the landscape is highly rocky and uneven, hence the groundwater quantity in these districts is less. But due to the then TN govt's populist move, compulsory rain harvesting tanks in each household and establishments has become a boon for TN. But denying cauvery water citing groundwater level as a reason is atrocious as the extent of cultivated area between these two states vary enormously.
RE:Crisis
by saigeetha jagannathan on Apr 05, 2008 08:25 PM Permalink
Mr.Uttam Rao, We are not denying water for the unirrigated arid lands of the mentioned regions. First, we should introspect the type of landscape in all these connected regions. Mandya, Chamrajnager, Bangaorlore rural, Kolar in Karnataka, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Thiruvannamalai districts of TN, Cuppam, Anantapur districts in Andhra have more or less similar lanscape i.e. rocky terrain and uneven. Agriculture in such places is not as easy as in plains. Blaming TN as not letting Karnatak people to do agriculture in an arid lanscape is unfair. This is the same case with TN farmers in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts.
RE:Crisis
by saigeetha jagannathan on Apr 06, 2008 09:44 AM Permalink
In addition, Karnataka built a 72 mile artificial channel to facilitate irrigation by diverting water to more areas in addition to the 100 mile long river flowing in KN. So certainly water cannot be an issue but its just misguiding argument that KN politicians using in this issue.
RE:RE:RE:RE:Crisis
by saigeetha jagannathan on Apr 05, 2008 08:32 PM Permalink
An unirrigated land can point to a lot of reasons not just water. I again emphasis that the mentioned areas are arid because of the rocky terrain. Lack of water holds only for Anantapur district (AP),Thiruvannamalai districts (TN) and adjoining regions as there is no major river nearby in addition to the rocky terrain but certainly not with the cauvery fed districts of Karnataka.
RE:Crisis
by uttam rao on Apr 05, 2008 08:07 PM Permalink
I think you have not visited unirrigated areas in the above mentioned regions. These areas are arid as well without irrigation irrespective of marginally better rainfall. Nothing worthwhile grows just based on rain water. Denying irrigation to these areas citing colonial agreements is harsh on farmers of those regions. Isn't it. Still over 40% (could be more) of area in cauver basin of karnataka is unirrigated. Is this being fair on those farmers?
RE:Crisis
by saigeetha jagannathan on Apr 06, 2008 09:06 AM Permalink
Mr. Uttam Rao, You are contradicting your own statements. You earlier said the mentioned districts in KN are unirrigated and now irrigated though arid lands. I am quite clear with my views. How can we people in low riparian region object to irrigation in high riparian states?. Your dams are always full thoughout the year and so there is certainly no issues in regard to water. Its you who have to make use of the available resources including Cauvery. Morover, TN is a pioneer in agriculture for millennia. So there can be little to be learned from you.
RE:Crisis
by uttam rao on Apr 05, 2008 11:35 PM Permalink
This again proves your lack of knowledge of the terrain in KN. Yes, agri is harder than the plains. Does that mean that water should be exclusive to plains. What TN govt does in Dharmapuri and elsewhere in TN is its choice. Certainly cannot argue that water should be denied because of that. Just look at Mandya before irrigation and after irrigation. It was just about any other arid region that has been converted to a good agricultural land. Similar is the case with Bangalore rural, hassan, Tumkur as well. Only if water is made available. May be Dharmapuri can learn a lesson here about agriculture in arid areas. It is intent that is important - whether you are willing to share whatever is there in the river. Not about denying rights to co-riparian states because one has started using waters earlier than the other. BTW, this is in response to your comments on rocky terrain in South Karnataka
RE:RE:RE:RE:Crisis
by uttam rao on Apr 05, 2008 08:12 PM Permalink
How about districts in flood plains. It is documented fact that there is good groundwater reserves in those areas. Farmers can survive vagaries of monsoon atleast for an year. TN may not want farmers to use this as this could weaken its case for more water from KN
