Opinion

The Supreme Court may have to deal with this contradiction next time a dispute escalates and is brought before it. The politicised nature of river water disputes makes the chances of such an escalation rife.

Individual States need to assume the responsibility for managing water resources in their territories.

The political process under Modi must redefine the Centre-state division of powers on rivers, or take up water agenda along the lines of GST reforms.

Cauvery Authority’s challenge lies in forging federal consensus on Centre’s role in inter-state rivers. This could guide the making of a policy on river water sharing.