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Water wars: Situation in South India a sign of things to come

  • India like many other countries faces an acute water stress. Per capita water availability is decreasing.
  • What has been unfolding in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is just another reminder of things to come.
  • India’s human security is primarily dependent on the pattern of water conflicts.
Kishalay bhattacharjee Water wars
Author
First Published Sep 14, 2016, 4:32 AM IST

Water is a transboundary source and 90% of water actually crosses international borders. Despite 1966 Helsinki Rules and 1997 UN Convention on Non-Navigational Uses of International Waters, there is no legally binding water treaty. Whatever we have are all bilateral treaties. With water scarcity becoming a reality the need for equitable distribution of water is imperative. The refrain today is national security and international cooperation is riparian based.

 

India like many other countries faces an acute water stress. Per capita water availability is decreasing. About 95% of the water is consumed by the agricultural sector and considering three-fourth’s of India’s population live in water stressed areas, the political framing of water is almost inevitable. It is estimated that by 2030 half of India’s water needs will not be met.

 

As population grows, demand for food, energy and water will increase. Increasing demand of food grains means larger crop land and more water resources. Clearly food security cannot be achieved without water security and a nation that does not have food security and food sovereignty has no national security. What has been unfolding in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is just another reminder of things to come.

 

All major confrontations with India’s neighbours have water somewhere in there; Bangladesh – Farakka, Nepal –  Kosi,  Pakistan – Baglihar and China – Brahmaputra. 

 

It is quite in the face that the single biggest political issue in the south of India is water. Over 100 years it has been Cauvery.  Mullaperiyar, or Andhra-Karnataka, Almatti Dam.  One may well be reminded that the Khalistan movement was born of a water grievance; sharing of the Ravi-Beas waters. That agreement was significant. The last several rounds of talks between Longowal-Rajiv Gandhi were stuck on the issue of sharing of water.

 

India’s human security is primarily dependent on the pattern of water conflicts. We must also recognise that water as a resource is also moving from agriculture to industries and that is causing havoc because it is politically manipulated and is even being privatised.  Chhattisgarh for example had privatised 23 kilometres of Sheonath River.  Maharashtra tried to privatise dam management (remember Nehru calling dams as ‘temples of modern India’?). There has been years of protests in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh against big dams. Huge natural resources are slowly coming under corporate control and that is alarming to water security.

 

It is not just trans boundary conflicts or between states but India is waking up to intra-village clashes and intra-district clashes over water. Brother is killing brother over water. Say the father dies and divides his land amongst the four sons. The brother who gets the land with the bore well comes under attack. 

 

Water is an explosive issue.  Changing water conditions in terms of quality, quantity and distribution will be the most telling feature of daily life. Policy understanding of water is a narrow frame of water management, which literally means manipulating water for specific purposes. How much of that has worked its way into security studies is doubtful. India is a middle riparian state and water diplomacy is what will drive the nation. Meanwhile, it first needs to find a way out of the interstate disputes. Water security is national security.

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