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August 7, 1998

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Cauvery finally breaks through dam of opposing views

A breakthrough was finally achieved on Friday on the contentious Cauvery water issue at the end of the third round of talks between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the chief ministers of the four riparian states.

A broad agreement has emerged on removing the barriers for implementing the seven-year-old interim award of the river water tribunal.

Chief Ministers J H Patel (Karnataka), M Karunanidhi (Tamil Nadu), E K Nayanar (Kerala), and Janakiraman (Pondicherry) agreed in principle to the Centre's scheme for implementing the interim award, and the setting up of an authority and a monitoring committee to supervise the release of 205 TMC of water by Karnataka to Tamil Nadu, as recommended by the tribunal way back in June 1990.

The chief ministers, however, differed about the nature, role and functions of the monitoring committee. The Karnataka government said the committee should only assist the authority, while Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry did not accept this.

The Kerala government, for its part, reserved its view, saying it would have to study the implications of both sides before taking a stand.

The Centre has decided to constitute a drafting committee headed by the cabinet secretary which will look into the powers, duties, functions and the role of the monitoring committee. The committee, which is meeting in Delhi on Friday evening, will have designated officers of the Central government and the state governments concerned.

The differences between the states had narrowed down considerably during the nine-hour talks. ''A scheme is now in place and the nuts and bolts of its implementation are being discussed,'' an official spokesman said.

Karunanidhi said he was happy that an amicable settlement has been reached. His Karnataka counterpart added that the matter should not be allowed to linger any longer.

Friday's agreement assumes significance in the wake of the Supreme Court order last month directing the Centre to finalise the scheme before August 12. The court had made it clear that it would not brook any further delay. (The Centre had sought as many as nine adjournments in the last one year.)

During their interaction with the media after the meeting, both Karunanidhi and Patel skirted contentious issues like penal provisions in the original draft scheme, including the possible takeover of reservoirs in Karnataka by the Centre if it failed to release water.

UNI

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