Cauvery Calling Page 1_Layout 1 11/25/2019 10:37 AM Page 1

LAB JOURNAL OF THE ASIAN COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM THE WORD WHY THIS ‘CAUVERY CALLING’ November 23, 2019

Interrogating ‘No transparency, changing goals’ ‘Cauvery Calling’: PANEL QUESTIONS CAUVERY CALLING Issues of Ecologies, Cultures and Livelihoods ABHINAV CHAKRABORTY & ASHREYA PATIAL Organised by Asian College of Journalism in asso - Describing the proposal in the Cauvery Calling project as scienti - ciation with Coalition for Environmental Justice fically unsound and lacking in dis - in India; Environment Support Group (Banga - cussion with stakeholders, former director of the Kerala Forest Re - lore); Citizen consumer and Civic Action Group search Institute P.N. Easa said a (Chennai); Poovalagin Nanbargal (Chennai); Peo - strategy should be based on con - ples Watch (Madurai); South Asian Network for sultation. “Any fundraising proposal is Dams, Rivers and People; Centre for Financial Ac - usually subjected to questions and countability (New Delhi), Chennai Youth Action peer reviews but there is nothing like that here. It has to be scrutini - on Climate Change; Fridays for the Future (Chen - sed properly as people are giving nai) and Extinction Rebellion (Chennai) money just because of Sadhguru,” he added, referring to Jaggi Vasu - dev, who heads the Isha Foundation driving the Cauvery Calling cam - paign. From left, Leo Saldanha, N Ram, P S Easa, Dhanya Rajendran , Viju B and Bhargavi S Rao discussing the ‘Ways For - Part of a panel discussing the ward’ at the seminar: Interrogating Cauvery Calling PHOTO: ASHREYA PATIAL way forward at a seminar on “In - Can planting terrogating Cauvery Calling: Is - sues, Cultures and Livelihoods”, of the United Nations Convention transgress and go ahead with Cau - jendran added that new ways were said that collective participation Easa called the campaign mere tree to Combat Desertification. very Calling, and said the govern - needed to engage the audience in was required. plantation and not ‘agroforestry’. “There is no transparency, no ve - ment being so subservient was the order to put one’s message through. “All committees on forests and trees solve N. Ram, veteran journalist and rifiable documents and no transpa - most troubling aspect. Viju B., journalist with The biodiversity must be made functio - chairman of The Hindu Group of rent management here,” he added, Dhanya Rajendran, editor of The Times of India in Kochi, stressed nal and people must be aware of its Publications, said Cauvery Calling expressing concern at collection of News Minute, pointed out the how ‘monocrop cultivation’ along provisions and how they work,” was not an ecological project but an funds so far of the targeted Rs mainstream media were generally the Cauvery basin was not desira - she said. economic project with ecological 11,000 crore. encouraging of Sadhguru. ble as every tributary of the river Leo Saldanha, coordinator of the river distress? consequences. Quoting Herodotus on Egypt “Sadhguru has gamed the system had a different micro habitat. Environmental Support Group, said “Sadhguru made it clear that being a “gift of the Nile”, Ram cal - correctly. Media moguls have reve - Talking about the Cauvery basin that livelihood needed to be looked ANJALY RAJ & ABHINAV CHAKRABORTY trees would be planted on farm - led the many achievements of rence for him and are under obliga - as a part of the Western Ghats, he at not in terms of just farmer liveli - land. They keep changing the goal - South India the “gift of the Cau - tion to show him in a good light,” added that any conservation efforts hood but basin livelihood as a Conversations like Interrogating Cauvery Calling must cover all river posts,” he said in reference to an very”. she said. in the region must also include re - whole.“Agro-ecological systems basins across India and not just the Cauvery, Environment Support Group interview between Sadhguru and He questioned the right and ju - Referring to the conclusions in claiming the tributaries. needs to be promoted and not agro - coordinator Leo Saldanha said on Saturday. Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary risdiction of the Isha Foundation to Interrogating Cauvery Calling, Ra - Environmentalist Bhargavi Rao forestry,” he said. “For us, this is a celebration of democracy. Democracy is not a space for didacticism,” he said. Saldanha was setting the context for the seminar “Interrogating Cau - very Calling: Issues of Ecologies, Cultures and Livelihoods” held at the Asian College of Journalism at Taramani. Organised by the Coalition for Environmental Justice in India, an um - Agroforestry at ‘Inadequate understanding brella organization that included ESG, the day-long seminar sought to ex - plore different issues relating to the Cauvery Calling campaign. Citing Cauvery Calling as an outcome of Rally for Rivers which pro - of river systems, dynamics’ moted interlinking of rivers across the country, Saldanha said it was ne - ANMOL AROwRA &h AAaTREtY EEc DHoAR st? cessary to see whether such interlinking was actually feasible. SAMEER KULKARNI & from these examples, and we very water goes to agriculture; pri - “It is one thing to think of it as a massive technocratic dream and an al - A step-by-step initiative should be taken instead of a big scheme like RITUPARNA PALIT should do too.” mary irrigation is focused on water together different thing to take it at an impact level,” he said. Isha Foundation’s agroforestry project as it cannot drastically change the Referring to the man-made crisis intensive crops, rice and sugarcane. The ESG coordinator questioned how agro-forestry was being pitched system, said Dr. Shrinivas Badiger, Fellow at the Centre for Environment The Isha Foundation’s exclusive of groundwater, Shah said that the The farmers grow these crops be - as the only way to rehabilitate the river. and Development. focus on riverside afforestation dis - most important factor for drying up cause there is an assured market. “Can we have a solution to our rivers’ problems by planting trees on a One remedy was to opt for less water intensive crops, he said, during a plays an inadequate understanding of rivers was the competitive ex - As a solution, he said, “The most third of a river basin?” he asked. panel discussion on ‘Is Agroforestry sufficient to save the Cauvery?’ of river systems and their dyna - traction of groundwater that had led important step to revive the Cau - Saldanha said it was important to understand the long term implications M. Siva, a farmer and an environmental activist, said that he would not mics, said Dr. Mihir Shah, in his to a decline in water tables. Rivers very and to end the conflict on both of Cauvery Calling on an ecological, social, economic and cultural level. accept these agroforestry plans as only natural growth should be allowed keynote address at seminar: ‘Inter - have now ended up losing their vo - sides of the border, is to introduce While welcoming the fact that someone as influential as ‘Sadhguru’ along the river basin. rogating ‘Cauvery Calling’: Issues lume to the over-extraction. low-water requiring millets, pulses Jaggi Vasudev had promoted it in a dramatic way by riding a motorbike Isha Foundation’s plan did not include local trees, Siva said. He argued of Ecologies, Cultures and Liveli - Applying these insights to the and oilseeds into public procure - from Tala Cauvery to Chennai, he said that such attention to a river in dis - that clearing naturally-growing grass and shrubs to plant trees would take hoods. Cauvery basin, Shah said that the ment” tress must empower everyone. away the grazing land from animals. The former member to erstwhile crystalline nature of 80 per cent of “This can only be done by in - “The river must be protected in a way that no one’s fundamental rights He also emphasized the fact that most people had small and mid-sized Planning Commission welcomed the Cauvery’s aquifers, the under - centivizing the farmers, not by gi - are affected.” he said. farms and planting trees would restrict farming. So, they would be forced Jaggi Vasudev’s initiative to pro - ground water reserves, made it dif - ving moral lectures or by coercing Saldanha also raised concerns on whether they could turn back and cor - to cut them down. mise a green cover across the banks ficult to recharge the ground water them that is not going to work. rect things if something went wrong. Contrasting between the 60 percent of landless farmers along the Cau - of the Cauvery, but questioned its once extracted. Creating an enduring demand for According to him, while it was important that private individuals, cor - very in Tamil Nadu and coffee cultivators in the upper catchment areas of economic viability for farmers. Talking about the diversity of the the less water intensive crops, will porates and governments come together and pitch solutions in a democra - Karnataka, Badiger said that the impact of agroforestry won’t be the same “Instead of understanding far - Cauvery basin he said, “You can’t provide farmers an incentive to tic space like India, there was a method to aggregate various responses to on everyone. mers’ practices in the first place, have a one-size-fits-all solution, move away from the water-guzz - a crisis that would capture all nuances and impact. Talking about the tank systems which were essential for agricultural the project is coercing the farmers that is a mistake water policy has ling crops that they grow today” Saldanha also stressed how paddy cultivation was part of the cultural communities living in peninsular India, he illustrated his experiences in into joining them,” he said. made, that is the mistake Cauvery Shah said there was a need to ethos of the Cauvery basin and a lot of songs and folklore had emerged out Mysore where planting trees in the catchment areas reduced water level in “Addressing these concerns is Calling is making. We are just fin - change the nature of agricultural of it. He recalled his childhood spent in the Kodagu district of Karnataka, the tanks. important to make constructive ding the single solution, for an ex - practices. As many as 300,000 far - where his grandparents taught him to take care of a river. Dr P.S. Easa, former director of Kerala Forest Research Insti -tute and the suggestions that would help a large tremely complex, completely mers had committed suicide in this “It begins by taking care of the stream, by not contaminating it. Yet, the Chair of the panel, said that introducing diversity into agroforestry by plan - campaign to reorient itself in a di - diverse set of situations.” country. “This is unprecedented. first thing we do when we go for a shower is dump a lot of detergents in ting shrubs and grass would serve the needs of the local community. In rection in which it has chance of In the high land areas, the spring- The roots of the crisis lie in the it. Millions of us do it and it ends up frothing the river,” he said. contrast Isha Foundation’s initiative laid emphasis on planting timber trees. success,” said Shah. scapes were the sources of water, Green Revolution.” There must be a limit to our actions and it is also about internalising For any agroforestry project, it was important to have a conversation Countering the Isha Founda - and they had been destroyed. The Referring to the monoculture im - these kinds of personal choices we make, he added. with the beneficiaries and action plans should be prepared after due con - tion’s “supply-side focus” on the primary sources of water had been pact on farmers due to Green Re - Earlier, Sashi Kumar, chairman of the Media Development Foundation sultation. It would include knowing people’s choice of trees, why they Cauvery crisis, Shah argued that deeply compromised, he added volution, Shah said, “We have which administers the Asian College of Journalism, said that the idea of the choose them, and procedures for measuring success, said Easa. not afforestation, but valuing a ri - Talking about the need to ad - subjected our farmers to monocul - seminar was not to call out, debunk or rubbish the Cauvery Calling cam - If Cauvery Calling failed to monitor the progress of its initiative, it ver’s catchments would be the best dress the demand side of water, he tures; they have put all their eggs paign. would be nothing more than a social forest programme undertaken by any possible way to save a dying river. said a participatory reduction in into the wheat basket or the rice He added that while it was a significant campaign that had gained trac - NGO, he added. “We cannot, by just planting both groundwater and irrigation basket. That leads to multiplication tion in the media, domain experts such as hydrologists, economists and About the Cauvery basin and use of river water, Siva said that most of trees near the river, overcome the water use was needed to tackle “de - of risks in farming. It also leads to ecologists have looked at it and raised questions. Given the cultural signi - it is used by the upper basin for intensive agriculture and industries. The - extremely negative impacts of the mocratization of water”, which a major water crisis.” ficance of the Cauvery in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, it was necessary to refore, the cost of such development needs to be taken into account too. so-called development activities could not be achieved through po - The loan waivers and subsidies interrogate the human risk of this campaign as well. Siva took the example of plantation of teak trees when the railways nee - that we are doing in the upper parts licing. Out of the 45 million ground were not going to help farmers get Kumar quoted a recent conversation where Sadhguru mentioned the im - ded teak wood, to explain how industry impacts the forests and the kind of of the catchment.” water structures in India, millions out of the vicious cycle. “Our far - portance of Cauvery Calling to Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary of the trees that are planted. Citing New York’s farmers’ ef - of them lie in the Cauvery basin. ming should match the agro-ecolo - United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. He said it was pa - Siva urged the public and organisations not to invest money in such pro - forts to ensure a healthy ecosystem “You cannot say stop using the gical diversities of the region.” radoxical that Sadhguru had called it not just an ecological but an econo - jects that exploit local communities. Those who talk about agroforestry for the city by maintaining a ground water... you cannot go and “Let us engage with the Cauvery mic requirement as well. should not do the same, he said. healthy and green river basin, Shah force people to make the change Calling as a truly meaningful mo - Kumar also mentioned that Sadhguru and Isha Foundation’s Cauvery Their plan is to convert one third of the farmland in Cauvery Basin into said “A lot of countries like China, happen,” he said. vement to revive the Cauvery,” he Calling team were invited to participate in the seminar and present their agroforestry to revitalise the agriculture along with the river itself. To that Brazil and Mexico are learning About 80-90 percent of the Cau - said. point of view but they had cited prior commitments. end, their aim is to “support farmers to plant 242 crore trees”.

PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 4 1 ‘Cauvery can revive itself’ when abuse stops 1 ‘Oversimplified solution to a complex problem’ 1 Cauvery water dispute needs interdisciplinary approach 2. ‘Planting trees on river banks can cause floods’ 2. ‘Vaigai plan can be replicated’ 2. ‘Trees will help revitalise the river basin’ 3. ‘Ban on extractive development only way out’ 3. ‘Govt must tighten grip on private groups’ 3. ‘Not a job for godmen’ 4.’Reclaim our rivers as our mothes’ 4. ‘A multi-millenia cradle of fine arts’ 4. The myths of Ganga, Cauvery 5. ‘Knowledge- driven plan needed’ 5. ‘Livelihood given short shrift’ 5. ‘Governance of river basins must be improved’ 6.’Humans cannot change ecosystems’ 6. Experts at the seminar Cauvery Calling Page 2_Layout 1 11/25/2019 10:49 AM Page 1

THE WORD 2 WHY THIS ‘CAUVERY CALLING’ November 23, 2019

VIDEO MESSAGES ‘Reclaim our rivers as our mothers’ SaMeeR KulKaRni the problem of commercial plantations ree - nefits are beyond just commercial usage. “the merged in 1980 when Shiva was at the indian neem, was, for me the solution and an alterna - Commercial tree plantations lead to des - institute of Management. tive to tragedies like Bhopal [Gas tragedy]. i truction of farmlands, said prominent environ - Bengaluru, and the entire floodplains and started a movement ‘no More Bhopal, plant a mentalist Vandana Shiva. the Cauvery and its catchments were being neem.’ ” in a video message , Vandana Shiva empha - taken over by eucalyptus monocultures. a “We do not need pesticides that killed 7,000 sized that farm trees, instead of commercial fo - study was conducted. people in one night and 200,000 [people] rests, should be planted. “the villagers were talking about how eu - across the world every year. neem is called the “in indian agriculture and agro-ecology, calyptus plantations on farms were destroying village pharmacy. it is not violent [but] it does farm trees and agro-forestry [have] always crops, food security, water security, wells were control pest,” she said. been a steady source of ecological security going dry and tanks were going dry,” she said. insisting on putting an end to the commer - when farming in fragile areas,” later, the threat to ecology surfaced once cial tree plantation she said “today, the issue L to R: Dr. Jagdish Krishnaswamy, Viju B. and Suprabha Seshan. “The river is older than the history of commercial plantation in again when the World Bank intervened with its of trees, the environment and our water is quite we are. Surely, it knows how to flow,” said Seshan. PHOTO: RAHUL MANOJ india goes back to the British Raj when they project. clearly the big issue concerning us.” adopted ‘Scientific Forestry’ where forest is a Shiva said they came in with huge money, “But it would be wrong to continue the tim - timber mine. Revenue, timber and raw mate - they had destroyed the forests and now they ber-mine logic of the British Colonialism, of rial were extracted from these forests. wanted raw material from the farmlands for the the World Bank’s Social Forestry and now, call Shiva’s ecological evolution began with the pulp industry. they called it ‘Social Forestry.’ it Cauvery Calling.” ‘Cauvery can revive itself' Chipko movement in 1970s when the women a global movement was created and forced “We have no dearth of biodiversity on this of Garhwal region in himalaya came out in timber mining on the farms, which maintain land, and we have no dearth of the economy protest and said forests were not timber mines food security. beyond market, beyond commerce, beyond when the abuse stops but sources of water and pure air, the sources Shiva also pointed out the importance of commoditization and it is time now, to reclaim of stabilizing the very “fragile himalaya.” planting farm trees, like the neem, whose be - our rivers as our living mothers,” she added. MahiMa ManiaR & groundwater and the disappearance king when it would wake up to the taniShKa SODhi of the flows that would have sus - fact that it has to grow its own food tained the river in the dry season, and not rely on the farmers it has Restoration of the Cauvery river there would be no moisture to been preying on for hundreds of needs local participation and not a maintain the dry tree plantations in years. ‘Knowledge-driven plan needed’ ‘one solution fits all strategy,’ ac - the sub-arid biomes of the Cauvery, “Roots of the problem are ex - anjaly Raj it becomes a problem. “if this works, then all other decide the ecological integrity of cording to environmental experts Krishnaswamy explained. tractive culture and industrial civi - nagendran said that enormous departments in the government the system. Dr. jagdish Krishnaswamy and Su - “For each biome, we need a dif - lization piping into the bodies of using the river system for all amounts of industrial pollutants can be conveniently closed and “We must sit at a common table prabha Seshan. ferent strategy,” he said, adding that the natural world,” said Seshan. purposes, such as for drinking were entering the Cauvery system they can keep planting trees.” and prepare an executable, extrac - the two speakers spoke about sediment was an integral part of She explained how vegetation was water, industrial and infrastructu - at different places, both in Karna - nagendran said all stakeholders tive development atlas, deciding the hydrological and ecosystem dy - maintaining the ecology of the different in every valley, and there - ral development, mining and taka and tamil nadu and in some should come together, consider in which stretch of the Cauvery, namics of the Cauvery river. the Cauvery. fore the revival methods needed to hydro power development, is legi - parts of Kerala as well. scientifically analyzed data and, what kind of activities and deve - discussion was moderated by B according to Krishnaswamy, the be different too. timate,said Dr R nagendran, for - the former nGt expert said he then, design a plan driven by lopment should take place and Viju, journalist. Cauvery delta is threatened because according to Seshan, anything mer expert member of national did not believe in Cauvery Cal - knowledge to restore the Cauvery what should be extraction?” the Cauvery basin straddles se - of the reduced flow that has lead to that spoke of a large scale solution Green tribunal. ling. to its original glory. “With this atlas and compen - veral biomes one aspect of which is a decrease in sediment discharge. across tens of thousands of kilome - nagendran said when this ex - Mere planting of trees without according to nagendran, a dium, and the policies developed restoration of the ecology and the “ecological flows is not about ters was cause for suspect. traction went beyond a threshold any scientific support and data state-wise and inter-statewise by the government, we should other being its water used for vege - maintaining minimum flow in the Seshan believed that humans and it reached a greedy level of would not help, said nagendran in compendium should be made on make the road map for extrac - tation, said Dr. jagdish Krishnas - dry season from head waters to the needed to be resilient in order to exploitation instead of extraction, a video message. the critical parameters that would tion.” wamy, a senior fellow at ashoka delta, but also about having suffi - overcome climate change, and that trust for Research in ecology and cient flood pulses in the wet season solutions needed to be found lo - the environment. that can move the sediment along,” cally, keeping in mind the link bet - a coordinating lead author of the he said. “Sediment management ween the urban, natural, indigenous Special ipCC report on climate and regulation of sand mining will life, and the earth. ‘Humans cannot change ecosystem’ change, he emphasized the need to have to be a part of restoration.” She emphasized the need to un - sustain the trees in the riparian fo - Referring to Cauvery Calling derstand things that were local, and Sayantan Guha & pointing out the problem in vers in the sky (that we call mon - tion which is at the bottom rung rests.a recent study by an iit Bom - campaign, Krishnaswamy said, listen to ‘the revival, regeneration, RitupaRna palit hand, the editor of Sanctuary asia soon). ―the ecosystem people, the work bay group proved that “they did not want to challenge the possibilities inherent in the world.’ said, “india has reached a stage Sahgal highlighted that all ri - that they could do is simple ― evapo-transpiration (the sum of political economy of the dams. ho - “i would like to make a case for humans, whether an engineer; where there is no water left. if the vers were moderated and control - soil moisture conservation work, evaporation and plant transpiration) wever, reviving a river from the the removal of damaging practices a social activist; an environmenta - politicians want vote, they will led by the wild ecosystems that basically allowing nature to come from the Western Ghats sustains the headwater to the delta is a complex and watch how the river returns. list; a writer; an editor or the have to steal water from the in - existed way before the homo Sa - back by holding the water to [a monsoon rainfall in parts of tamil process with climate change adding you don’t have to do much,” she prime Minister of india, are inex - dustrialists and if they want piens arrived, and that, for some state] where it was―it would fill nadu, leading to a large scale trans - to that.” said. perienced to the take up the task money, they will have to steal reason we were given the power the aquifers,” Sahgal said. fer of evapotranspiration at a regio - “We need an army of ecological the Cauvery would come back of altering the ecosystems with all from farmers.” to alter the ecosystems. the coming back of catchments nal scale from a forested catchment entrepreneurs who can use local once the depletion, blocking and to - the biodiversity that exist within Sahgal added that the trouble providing a way out for the cri - to life would increase the in-sea - to other parts of the basin. this was knowledge as well as scientific in - xification of the river stops. them, said environmentalist Bittu we are in today is not because of sis, he said, “the solution lies in son water flow, farm production, one instance where forest helped in sights from experiments and obser - “the river is older than we are. Sahgal. external enemy but because we the catchment of 3000 dams that and jobs. maintaining the monsoon. vations to learn and start reviving Surely, it knows how to flow,” she “We are looking to protect the humans have not learnt to work have been built. if 15-30 million “What it predominantly does is, Krishnaswamy pointed out that river,” he concluded. said. biosphere, but it is not just be - together. people are put to work to restore pave a path towards solving the if the trees grew in areas where the environmentalist Suprabha Ses - Seshan, who is part of a group cause of the value of biosphere, Classifying all the rivers into the river catchments, using natu - greater problem of climate river itself had lost its flow, it han, who works at the Gurukula that looks after a river spring in it’s because of the Cauvery, the three types, he said that we have ral regeneration as a primary tool, change. it will also create millions would lead to a reverse problem of Botanical Sanctuary in Wayanad, Wayanad, said that she had been Godavari, the Ganga, the Brah - the ones that we can see (like the we would have solved some major of jobs, control floods and the trees intercepting the water that spoke about the need for the ‘one witnessing the river quality im - maputra and the narmada River,” Cauvery and the Ganga); the un - problems in the next 5 years.” droughts and repair catchment would have reached the river. solution fits all’ culture to end. prove after removing toxicants pol - said Sahgal. derground rivers (aquifers); the ri - “We could reach out to the sec - areas,” added Sehgal. With the depletion of the She questioned urban culture, as - luting the stream. ‘Planting trees on river banks can cause floods’ MeGhna.M & Rahul.M asia Consortium for interdiscipli - per cent of farmers being landless. is obsessed with development wha - should have researched about the all the small towns and villages tries which would then free up sto - nary Water Resources Studies, hy - however, he spoke about the tever form it is but i am worried it health condition of the river.” around the river used this water for rage space at the dam too. the temptation to make Green derabad and chaired by Venkatesh system of double cropping that is at the cost of agriculture for hy - in tamil nadu there are five their daily needs causing illness for Replying to a question asked by Revolution the villain of the piece athreya discussed the various is - tamil nadu had perfected where drocarbon.” major tributaries of the river and all them. an audience member on decentrali - should be resisted, said Venkatesh sues that the river Cauvery was fa - Samba and Kuruvai summer crops “hydrocarbon can sustain us for of them are polluted. around the all this pollution that the river sing agrarian policy to solve the athreya, economist before com - cing. were grown. the next 30 years but saving the noyyal River, there 700-800 collected was then unloaded into crisis, he said that a neo-liberal po - mencing the panel discussion on Ranganathan highlighting the But unfortunately in the recent delta for agriculture will ensure dyeing/bleaching industries that the delta and later, the sea. licy would help facilitate in the fle - Securing Food and livelihood in dispute over the Cauvery between years there had been another sum - permanent food security.” dump their. even in the summer the river ran xibility of public Distribution the Cauvery Basin here. tamil nadu and Karnataka said mer crop that the farmers were now athreya elaborating on food se - the Orathuppalayam Dam that black because of all the pollution System to give rations that were Crediting the increase in the rice “Cauvery is a deficit river. it can - growing which used a lot of curity explained that it depended on was constructed over the noyyal load. only essential to their particular sta - production and the per capita in - not satisfy both the states.” groundwater. three factors; availability, accessi - river had not been opened up for ir - “the 950 reservoirs that the river tes. come in the last 30 years, athreya the various cyclones and floods this had resulted in the depletion bility and absorption of food. But rigation even once since 1992 be - supplies water to now looks like n.Ram, Chairman, the hindu said that the Green Revolution and that hit the state in the past had re - of the river and groundwater. these were in peril because of lack cause it has nothing but polluted playgrounds and the Mettur Dam publishing Group asked if the far - other measures taken by the go - sulted in over 60-70 tmcft of water Ranganathan reiterated that of state support. waste. which boasts of 93.7 tMC ft of mers would give up their land for vernment helped facilitate this. being wasted in the sea. groundwater must be saved and Discussing the main theme of in a report released by the tamil water has lost 40 per cent of its sto - the tree planting. the panel consisting of S. Ran - he appealed to the government should be used exclusively for drin - the seminar, ‘Cauvery Calling’, ja - nadu pollution Control Board in rage space because of silt,” he said. jankaraman vehemently said, ganathan, General Secretary of the to be more careful with the usage king. nakarajan said, “Mr. jaggi should 2016, around the main river there proposing solutions, janakarajan “there is no point of trees on the tamil nadu Cauvery Delta Farmers of water as the livelihood of mil - Referring to the hydrocarbon really have done a lot of research are 9900 small industries which said that the government could de - banks as the trees would only cause Welfare association and Dr. S. ja - lions of farmers in the Cauvery project in the Cauvery delta, Ran - before getting into planting trees on dumped all their waste into the silt and take all the sand deposit for more flooding on the plains and not nakarajan, president of the South Delta depended on it with over 38 ganathan said “Our prime Minister the river banks and tributaries. he river. construction of houses and indus - help in reviving the river.” ‘Ban on extractive development only way out’ neil CORneliuS & produce obtained from these areas which vent them from exploiting the delta. the Sterlite and the eight-way lane (Manush) spent on a project for reviving State Government and has not happened SRiShti laKhOtia had led to an increase in farmer suicides Sundarajan said that there was a depo - project had destroyed over 10,000 acres a 250 acre patch of forest land which rai - till date. in tamil nadu. sit of 1960 million tonnes of crude oil of forest land. sed the groundwater levels by 10 feet in Ms. Bhargavi. S. Rao said that recrea - if hydraulic fracturing is allowed at the panel consisted of Sundarajan and and natural gas in the Cauvery Delta area talking of Sadhguru’s project Green Dharmapuri, one of the driest regions of tion has become an industry by itself and the Cauvery Delta, there would be no conservationist piyush Manush and was . he said that the Methane hydro Car - hands, he called alleged that the 64 lakh tamil nadu. that tourism is destroying the banks nagapattinam in 25 years, said G Sunda - chaired by environmentalist Bhargavi. S. bon project in tamil nadu had given trees promised to be planted under the Manush also spoke about his efforts in in response to this Sundarajan said, rajan from poovulagin nanbargal, a Rao. open mining permission for industries to project were not planted according to the the restoration of 2 lakes in Salem which “to save western Ghats and the Cauvery tamil nadu-based voluntary environ - Manush spoke about the extensive mi - exploit the delta and could lead to the information in an Rti he filed. increased the city’s water table by 60 per Delta, you need to ban any kind of ex - ment group said, that ning conducted by multi national corpo - delta sinking. “planting trees is different from selling cent at a total cost of just Rs. 2 crores. tractive activities.” Speaking on whether extractive De - rations in the delta area and referred to “if we are not going to talk about the saplings,” he said. Manush said that the Sadhguru said on Sundarajan was specifically referring velopment is affecting Cauvery at the Dalmia’s Magnesite mining, Vedanta extractive industries in the Cauvery Manush further alleged that the Sadh - October 12, in the presence of tamil to the tourism industry and tea estates. Seminar on Cauvery Calling held at the group’s bauxite mining and the mining Delta, the Cauvery will never see it’s guru talked of a “chemical-free” delta nadu Chief Minister edappadi palanis - Sundarajan said that 50 per cent of asian College of journalism, Sundarajan of 6000 acres in Kanjamalai by jindal glory again,” he said. while his Rally for Rivers was sponsored wamy that he would get Karnataka Chief tamil nadu’s sand came from the Cau - also said that the contamination of Steel Works. Manush said that ‘Sadhguru’ jaggi Va - by the Oil and natural Gas Corporation. Minister, B S yeddyurappa to sign the very river and 35 per cent of the total groundwater by crude oil had led to the he said that the mining lobby was get - sudev was “supporting toxic industriali - Manush said that the amount proposed subsidies for the farmers in the delta re - sand from the Cauvery came solely from loss of 4800 acres of land in the delta. ting stronger and that newer strategies zation and talking about Cauvery Calling to be raised for planting trees along the gions by Oct 18. the amaravathi, which was a tributary of this in turn had reduced the amount of needed to be employed in order to pre - at the same time.” Cauvery was disproportionate what he this had not been announced by any Cauvery. Cauvery Calling Page 3_Layout 1 11/25/2019 10:45 AM Page 1

THE WORD November 23, 2019 WHY THIS ‘CAUVERY CALLING’ 3 ‘Oversimplified solution to complex problem’ ARCHITA RAGHU & trol of pollution) Act, he said, ad - against me just because I questio - GOKUL G K ding that this could happen only in ned an encroachment,” he said. countries with “perversions of de - Venkatesan advised media hou - The Cauvery Calling project is mocracy.” ses to cover stories like these ins - an oversimplified solution to a The best thing to do, as the tri - tead of being on the lookout for complex problem, said Chennai- bals in the area say, was to leave the positive ones. based social activist Nityanand Cauvery untouched, Jayaraman There was a need to ask the Jayaraman . said. tough questions, gather a large Speaking at a panel discussion ti - Another member of the panel, number of citizens and engage with tled ‘Political and Governance Is - Jayaram Venkatesan, said that Jaggi the current development paradigm, sues Relating to Cauvery’, Vasudev’s project suited govern - according to Venkatesan. Jayaraman laid out the reasons why ments as they didn’t question issues “We need to question the go - anyone should not engage with Isha like sand-mining. vernment. If you don’t earn the Foundation’s initiative of planting Venkatesan, founder of the NGO name of an anti-national then so - 242 crore trees on the banks of the Arrapor Iyakkam, said that sand mething is wrong with you,” he Cauvery. mining companies encroached on said. Calling the initiative a “false so - river banks and remained unanswe - The third panelist Henri Tip - lution,” Jayaraman said that the rable to the law. hagne –executive director of the math and science of it did not add Water levels went down tremen - People’s Watch—said that people up. He questioned the feasibility dously due to sand mining and needed to form movements to A section of the audience at the seminar: Interrogating Cauvery Calling PHOTO: GOKUL G K of planting 400 trees in every acre many villages in the area went wit - counter Cauvery Calling. of the driest plains of Tamil Nadu. hout water supply, leaving farmers The freedom to dissent, the free - Cauvery Calling lacked verifiabi - in a lurch. dom of expression and issues of lity and accountability, as the board “Farmers who have been wor - human rights had been repressed, members remained unknown and king for 25 to 30 years can’t even he argued. ‘Vaigai plan can be replicated’ allocation of funds was unclear, he pay back a debt of 50,000 rupees,” Tiphagne stressed the need to that might help the Cauvery. properties, he said. vers. said. he said, addressing the farmer sui - counter this initiative as these orga - P A ANEESA But he said that the Indian Rivers “We need to learn a lot from the Amal Raj, a participant who runs The foundation had violated the cides in Tamil Nadu in 2017. nizations had pushed religion into Interlink project, which was a Cen - tribal community,” said Viju.B who a communication consultancy in Water and Air (prevention and con - “Three FIRs have been filed all layers of life. Local movements like the Vaigai tral Government initiative to link is also the Metro Editor of the Chennai and a retired Professor Restoration project has to happen the Godavari to the Cauvery, would Kochi edition of The Times of said that the seminar ‘Interrogating across the country to save the Cau - not work. India. Cauvery’ was relevant and timely. very and other rivers, said Mr. M “Interlinking is based on the no - He added that eco-restoration He added that a mission like resto - Siva, an Environmental Activist tion that if you connect the Hima - and organic farming naturally done ring the Cauvery could not be done based in Chennai. layan Rivers with the Cauvery it by tribal communities was a met - by a popular gesture. “Bringing about a larger move - may prevent it from drying up. But hod to save Cauvery. “Cauvery Calling is a gimmick,” ment is a challenge; the State has to it will not work in the Cauvery “The conservation of Western he added. take the initiative for that,” he since the rivers have different ori - Ghats should be the priority in sa - George Heston, another partici - added while speaking to the repor - gins and flowing patterns,” he said. ving the Cauvery as it is the catch - pant of the event and a Develop - ters after his session in Interroga - “The government has to recog - ment area,” he said. ment Consultant based in Chennai ting Cauvery conducted in the nize that rivers are also a cultural Dr. Mihir Shah, a former mem - said that the organizers behind Asian College of Journalism. entity,” he added. ber of the Planning Commission Cauvery Calling campaign were Siva claimed that the restoration The river interlinking project is said that he is not against the Cau - not talking to locals there about of the Vaigai river happened be - a civil engineering project which very Calling campaign if it inclu - their need and opinion. cause the Tamil Nadu Government aims to connect Himalayan Rivers ded all powerless voices along the He added that the villages along passed a Pasana Sabha Sattam in to Peninsular Rivers to combat the Cauvery basin. the Cauvery basin could restore the 2008. water scarcity in South India. Suprabha Seshan, who works at basin and conserve the water while Small groups called irrigation Viju. B, one of the panelists and the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary using it. sabhas were created as per this act the author of the book ‘Flood and in Kerala, said that the reason for “Are they conducting the cam - which managed the restoration and Fury’ said that the river interlinking the present situation was Industrial paign because Bangalore doesn’t Moderator Dhanya Rajendran in conversation with panelists Nityanand Jayaraman, Jaya - management of the Vaigai river, he project would be disastrous. Every culture. She pointed out the need to have water or the Cauvery doesn’t ram Venkatesan and Henry Tiphagne. PHOTO: ASHREYA PATIAL said and added that an initiative like river had its unique trajectory and go back to nature to conserve the ri - have?” he asked.

‘Govt must tighten grip on private groups’ VIDEO MESSAGE SRINJOY SANYAL Manush, who created the Salem the licenses and policies already Speaking about the dispute bet - bodies in the country. As the term Citizen’s Forum in 2010, criticised sanctioned by the government to ween Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, suggested, Rohit felt it was the Conservationist Piyush Manush the private environment support protect the water bodies across the Vignesh was really happy with the greed of the various private groups said he still believed in the lower groups for taking money without country. formation of the Cauvery Water which was causing harm to the ‘Livelihood given judiciary in coming to his aid in his working towards the cause. She said the Modi government Regulation Committee now that flora and fauna in the country. struggle to revive water bodies. The government, he felt, charged needed to tighten its grip on the pri - Tamil Nadu would receive 177 V.R. Devika, a Gandhi scholar, Known for revival of the Amma - a lot more than the statutory vate support groups which seeking tmcft of water for the next 15 years. said the Cauvery river was still pettai Lake and the Kundukkal amount. He cited the example of donations for planting trees. About the ongoing panel discus - young and bustling as it was when short shrift’ Lake and also opposing commer - the Chetpet Lake for which the De - Vignesh (26), who was sitting in sion, he was really impressed with she used to play on the banks of the SAMEER KULKARNI cial mining and encroachment partment of Fisheries of the Tamil the crowd, fears that the revival of the choice of panelists. More so, river as a child. across districts of Salem and Dhar - Nadu government claimed to have the Cauvery might as well become that people from various profes - The founder of the Aseema Communities in the Cauvery mapuri, Manush felt his being char - spent Rs. 40 crore for the 16-acre a political issue. sions had gathered to address this Trust, Devika refrained from spea - basin have the first right to pri - ged with non-bailable sections in plot. Manush said he could have A student of the Madras Univer - issue. king about the political angle. macy not only over resources but 2016 for protesting against the done the same job for less. sity, he was worried about the fact Rohit, a student of Azim Premji She said the issues were both also in decision-making on har - construction of the Muluvadi Gate Mrs. Bhargavi S Rao, an envi - that the Cauvery had no longer University in Bangalore, however, emotional and scientific which nee - nessing and revival of ecosystem- over-bridge in Salem was absolute ronmentalist by profession, said been the same in his hometown of feared capitalism was the root ded to be curbed using multi-laye - based resource metrics, social injustice. there was a growing need to tighten Thanjavur. cause of the damage to all the water red efforts. activist Medha Patkar said in a video message. Questioning the support of re - gional communities for the Sadh - guru-headed Isha Foundation’s ‘Cauvery Calling,’ she said people Medha Patkar ‘A multi-millenia cradle of fine arts’ who have been taking care of the ABHIMANYU HAZARIKA of the river be declared a wetland region are told to shift to agro-business for its project. But is the foun - & MAHERA DUTTA area, stressing that its current de - dation working with the people? Has it looked into biodiversity that signation as a sensitive zone is a has existed over generations? Has it looked at the various ecologically Mass efforts at agro-forestry are smokescreen for its actual pro - sustainable practices that the people are used to and like to continue not scientifically conducive along blems. with? If not, then the foundation’s exercise is going to be a failure. the Cauvery. This was among the Jayaraman drove home the point Ms. Patkar claimed that Sadhguru’s people do not understand that major takeaways from the panel on of the ecological diversity of the the basin should be protected, first by saving the small tributaries and ‘Cultural History and its impor - basin area by pointing to the 40,000 minor rivulets. In the Cauvery, and in the Narmada, many of them have tance to the conservation of the square km of canal networks across already died. Cauvery Basin’. it, meaning its essentially ‘wetland’ “No doubt, the tree cover is a must. There was a tree cover in Nar - -The panel discussion was part nature. mada valley and it was destroyed; the same foundation took up the of the seminar analyzing the ecolo - In such wetlands and in stretches Narmada Calling but yet, nothing was done to prevent the destruction,” gical aspects of the Cauvery Cal - that can be categorized as plains, she added. ling movement spearheaded by the planting trees on a large scale is not Ms. Patkar warned about disruption of the social systems, from fa - Isha foundation. scientifically advisable, he said milies to communities, once business is made the priority. Chaired by Ms. V.R Devika, a answering a question by activist “The people who survive on the land, water, including the ground - Gandhi scholar and founder of the Piyush Manush. water, would like to have micro level alternatives which can be accep - Aseema Trust, the panelists for the On a lighter note, Ms Devika table and manageable by the communities, not by the corporates.” session were renowned author and began by speaking of her multi-cul - Pointing out the lack of a field expert in the foundation, she said its professor, Mr. Thanga Jayaraman, tural background, a trait she shares head, who is considered a spiritual guru, has not been an ecologist or and cultural historian Dr. Rama with Sadhguru and Rajinikanth environmentalist; he is not working with people who are living on na - Kausalya. (being brought up and settled in tural resources and human power with their own skills, self-reliance These experts of cultural history different states). and sustainability. were speaking on the occasion of This plurality needs to be taken “He cannot be considered as an ecological expert,” she said, “Interrogating Cauvery Calling”, a in context when people analyse the “They are focusing on the income-generation. The whole proposal seminar held at the Asian College Cauvery issue, she said, as it invol - certainly appears to be for profit making and income generation, and of Journalism on Saturday. ves multiple parties, states and cul - not livelihood protection. There is a difference. We are not against in - “Only a fertile land can inspire a Ms Devika, moderator, answers a question from the audience as the panelists, Prof. tures. come-generation, produce should be given priority, but it should be a generation of dancers and singers. Jayaraman (right) and Dr Kausalya (left) look on. PHOTO: ABHIMANYU HAZARIKA A member of the audience asked community enterprise and that requires different approach,” She is our mother.” said Dr. Rama the panelists about artists from the Ms. Patkar said the government may be supporting the Isha founda - Kausalya, on the discussion on one with culture and heritage, which beauty of the Cauvery. its dynamic flow”, he said. fertile delta other than Thyagraja. tion but even it is not necessarily clear and confident about the overall of India’s major rivers. dates back thousands of years. The The discussion also touched on He urged activists to ‘ecologi - Ms. Devika and Dr Kausalya development paradigm, it should have the first dialogue with environ - Given the importance the cultu - historian went on to point towards the role of festivals celebrated with cally determine’ the course of Cau - reiterated the cultural heritage of mentalists and social organizations. ral community attached to the river the dwindling agricultural land fervor by people along the river very, emphasizing it would help the Cauvery as dating back several Addressing the Cauvery dispute between States over sharing water and its delta area, Dr. Kausalya around the river. banks. shift the narratives to beyond just millennia and consisting of people resources, she called for a people-to-people dialogue. stressed the fact that preserving the “There is no water in the river. Ms. Devika said that particularly the language aspect which it is cur - about whom the current generation People in the basin are not only facing environmental problems from same ought not to be politicized by How will we sing our compositions along the basin, cultural celebra - rently centered on. was not aware of. the upstream but encroachments, like in Thanjavur by ONGC, are also anyone. to an empty river?” said Kausalya. tions are very much a part of life. Ecological determinism involves The session concluded on a for - creating problems. This includes, she added, the li - She broke into a song about the Thanga Jayaraman stressed the the study of societies and states ward-looking note, with Ms. De - This is an infringement not only on the people’s resource base but on beral patrons who support the per - river. need to recognize the history of the being geared towards predisposed vika saying, “Multi-layered and their Right to Life and Livelihood as well. They will not shift to tree forming artists. The Tamil song described the Cauvery Delta. developmental models due to their consistent efforts are needed when planting unless there is money and market influence that would count, The panelists emphasized the flow of the river while giving in “The river adjusts its own physical environment. addressing Cauvery’s ecological she said. deep rooted association of the river depth description of the scenic course. Concrete structures inhibit He wished that the eastern delta concerns”. Cauvery Calling Page 4_Layout 1 11/23/2019 7:44 PM Page 1

THE WORD 4 WHY THIS ‘CAUVERY CALLING’ November 23, 2019 Cauvery water dispute needs ‘Trees will help revitalise ithi a nlengtht of erdisciplinary approacOne ch rucial lesson from the Cau - 802 km, the Cau - very dispute is that conflicts occur very is the fourth This is an edited extract from the monograph titled “Conflict due to, among other reasons, a fai - longest river in over Cauvery Waters: Imperatives for Innovative Policy Options” lure of institutions. This institutio - the river basin’ South India, after nal failure, in turn, is contingent the Godavari, the Krishna and the written by Nilanjan Ghosh Jayanta Bandyopadhyay Jaya Thakur upon the fact that the laws of the ABHINAV CHAKRABORTY Nadu were drought-hit in 2019 and Mahanadi. Karnataka and Tamil and published by Observer Research Foundation in 2018. land are not conducive enough to 15 of the last 18 years have been WNadu are the principal States in the tackle situations arising out of con - Cauvery Calling aims to revita - drought years in Karnataka, accor - Cauvery basin; a small part of Ke - flict over perceptions of property lize the Cauvery river by planting ding to the website. rala and Pondicherry also belong to rights. 242 crore trees in the river basin, Citing river depletion and farmer the basin. basin in Tamil Nadu receive the million cubic feet) annually to claim ownership over it.” The loopholes in the Inter-State says Isha Foundation which has ini - distress as two faces of the same Originating from the Tala Cau - major portion of rain from the NE 177.25 tmcft annually and alloca - The verdict therefore presents an Water Disputes Act have often been tiated the campaign. problem, Cauvery Calling will very in the Western Ghats, the east- Monsoon. ted 14.75 tmcft to Karnataka for unprecedented benchmark in In - used by tribunals to delay their “Cauvery has been the source of adopt ‘agroforestry’ methods to flowing river meets the Bay of The dispute between Karnataka use of Bangalore, in a clear recog - dian water governance by seeking award. Despite placing time limits, well-being, prosperity and the very yield triple benefits, the website Bengal in Tamil Nadu. From the and Tamil Nadu over sharing the nition of the need to diversify water a departure from age-old practices. often the ambiguity related to the source of life for these lands. A fo - says. origin to the confluence with the Cauvery water seems to have a me - needs away from agriculture. However, one more thing re - deadlines has led to delay in the de - rest-fed perennial river is fast beco - The simplest way to make the Bay of Bengal, the main river flows teorological root—that is, the lack The verdict has paved the way mains to be taken care of. The ver - livery of justice. No standardised ming a seasonal stream as 87% of Cauvery flow again is to plant for 381 km in Karnataka and 357 of adequate rainfall from the SW for a sustainable resolution of the dict does not have the cause of the mechanism or principle for water tree cover has been removed in 50 trees. Cauvery Calling will support km in Tamil Nadu, the two larger Monsoon in June. dispute through an integrated ap - ecosystem in its scope. allocation has emerged for the Cau - years,” said Isha Foundation head farmers to plant 242 crore trees in basin States. The interests of Kerala The intensity of the conflict in - proach to river basin governance. Ecological scientists must advo - very basin so far. ‘Sadhguru’ Jaggi Vasudev at the the Cauvery basin by adopting and Pondicherry in the water of the creases with competing demands The judgment is historic on two cate a more scientific approach to An appropriate institutional ar - campaign launch earlier this July. agroforestry. river are limited. for water for irrigated paddy during counts: first, it marks the culmina - the cause of the ecosystems for life rangement in the form of the Cau - The campaign is an extension of First, soil health will improve The Cauvery is also known as the dry season. tion of the centuries-old water dis - in the basin. very Management Board can create the Rally for Rivers movement, through replenishment of its orga - the Dakshina Ganga or “the Gan - In Tamil Nadu, the kuruvai crop pute that has been an epitome of It is a difficult task to suggest so - resolution mechanisms through which was launched in September nic content. ges of South India,” reflecting its in June depends on irrigation from hostile hydropolitics; second, it lutions to nuanced problems such best practices in governance. 2017 by Sadhguru to raise aware - Second, the Cauvery basin will sacred status. Cauvery water. In the event of the sent a signal to the agricultural eco - as the Cauvery conflict as they are However, analysts have stressed ness about India’s depleting rivers. retain about 40 per cent more water There are a large number of tem - SW Monsoon arriving late or not nomy to practise demand manage - further compounded by socio-poli - the need for taking time, and devi - The movement presented itself by reviving groundwater levels. ples built along the river, signifying bringing normal rainfall in the ini - ment of water through tical considerations. sing this institutional mechanism as primarily an economic program Finally, farmers’ incomes will its religious and cultural signifi - tial weeks, the dependence beco - water-use-efficiency, and crop-di - A scientific body ought to be with a lot of care, after considering with a significant ecological im - increase 300 to 800 per cent in 5 to cance. mes acute. versification. created to work out a formula for the global best practices. pact, supported by over 162 million 7 years, the website claims. Due to great dependence on the In Karnataka, the irrigation The principle followed here ap - water allocation across the various They have cautioned that a hasty people, according to the Isha Foun - Cauvery Calling accepts dona - river for drinking water and irriga - needs of the summer paddy conti - parently seems like “robbing Peter needs, keeping in view the integrity decision on getting the Board in dation Outreach website. tions of Rs 42 for one tree and the tion, the Cauvery has been a sub - nue till the end of July. Therefore, to pay Paul” (by reducing 14.75 of the basin ecosystem. place with a narrow professional The website says the disappea - campaign will support farmers in ject of myth and legend in all parts whenever the rainfall is low in the tmcft for Tamil Nadu and providing It is urgent that the effects of cli - base of reductionist engineers rance of trees along the Cauvery planting them. of the basin, and finds unbridled ci - Karnataka parts of the basin in the same to Karnataka for its bur - mate change on water availability could only aggravate the problem. has led to soil erosion, which in The website’s Social Media tation in music, poetry, literature, June, the demand for Cauvery geoning urban industrial water use) are studied more seriously to create A critical interdisciplinary know - turn has resulted in the river drying Buzz section showcases tweets by and folklore of the region. water goes up. This is the crux of but it recognises a bigger global a holistic knowledge base for water ledge and human resource base is up. It says that the Cauvery has Prime Minister Narendra Modi; The Cauvery basin receives rain the conflict. phenomenon of inter-sectoral water allocation in the basin. important with multi-disciplinary been depleted over 40 per cent in Cricketers Ravichandran Ashwin from both monsoons – the South - Complicating the problem has conflicts: agriculture versus urban- Economics can play an impor - expertise. the last 70 years and almost half the and KL Rahul; and actors Kamal West(SW) Monsoon (June-Sep - been the rapid growth of urban de - industrial demand. tant role in institution building as The court order has indeed ope - river basin has suffered critical Haasan, Akshay Kumar and Ta - tember) and the North-East (NE) mand for water especially in Ban - Interestingly, departing from the well as provide an objective tool ned up the opportunity for a more groundwater depletion. mannaah Bhatia Monsoon (November-January). galore in Karnataka, driven by its existing view of water being a a for conflict resolution. It has been holistic thinking than what has pre - This has contributed to farmer Sources: Cauvery Calling The SW Monsoon generates heavy burgeoning population. State subject, thereby leading to di - suggested that a water futures mar - vailed so far. distress due to droughts, debt and https://www.ishaoutreach.org/en/ca rain in the Western Ghats, where On February 16, 2018, the Su - vergent definitions of property ket developed over time might be Let that opening be made bigger, suicides, especially in states like uvery-calling the Cauvery and its tributaries in preme Court reduced the allocation rights, the Supreme Court has ob - another mode of resolving the con - capable of delivering a lasting so - Karnataka and Tamil Nadu through Rally for Rivers Karnataka originate. The eastern of the Cauvery water for Tamil served that the Cauvery is a “natio - flict through a market-based allo - lution by including a diversity of which the river flows. https://isha.sadhguru.org/rally-for- and lower parts of the Cauvery Nadu from 192 tmcft (thousand nal asset and no single State could cation. expertise. As many as 17 districts in Tamil rivers/

VIDEO MESSAGES Expert voices at the seminar THE FOLLOWING EX - of the IPCC report on Climate and Expert Member of the National along the Cauvery in Thanjavur PERTS TOOK PART IN Land. He maintains instrumented Green Tribunal. He offers enviro- District. She is a descendant of VARIOUS PANELS IN catchments in the Western Ghats legal consultancy as a freelancer. the Thillaisthanam Sishya Param - ‘Not a job for godmen’ THE DAY’S SESSION where he studies the impact of ex - para of Saint Tyagaraja treme weather and vegetation Dr. Venkatesh Athreya RITUPARNA PALIT seen local authorities conduct hu - as the Cauvery Calling, it is very Dr. Mihir Shah change on hydrology. Prof Venkatesh Athreya is an Dhanya Rajendran mongous projects of tree planta - important to know in detail about A former Member of the Plan - economist who has worked exten - Dhanya Rajendran is the edi - “This job should not be entrus - tion, but end up in vain due to the the soils you are planting trees in, ning Commission, Dr. Mihir Shah M. Siva sively on olitical economy of de - tor-in-chief of the digital portal, ted to godmen or governments wrong choice of trees that are not and the condition that your trees has lived in tribal central India for M. Siva is an environmental ac - velopment, with special reference The News Minute. Previously, she that don’t really know what they even remotely suited; they do not are adapted to.” the last 30 years, working with tivist and writer who has worked to rural India and Tamil Nadu. He worked as the South India head of are doing. It needs a huge amount survive the minute you withdraw Explaining the difficulty in Adivasi communities for sustaina - extensively on issues concerning has also worked and published in Times Now. Dhanya is a graduate of knowledge and preparation,” watering.” analysing the soil patterns on ble and equitable development. the Noyyal river Basin. He cam - the areas of food security, gender of the Asian College of Journa - says Pradip Krishen, filmmaker Studying trees since 1995, the river banks, Krishen says, “The He was recently asked to chair the paigned against construction of education and Marxian political lism. and environmentalist, referring to self-taught field botanist believes soil bedrock keeps changing as committee to draft the National Karunya University and the Isha economy. the Cauvery Calling Project. that knowing the adaptability of you go along the course of a long Water Policy. Centre for “violation of laws on Henri Tiphagne “Unless you understand the the trees, as well as the soil is im - river. Also, there is transported forest land.” Dr. S. Janakarajan Henri Tiphagne is co-founder of character of your soil, all the portant before carrying out a plan - soil brought down by the river it - Dr. P. S. Easa Dr S Janakarajan is president, the human rights organization, money and effort you put into a tation drive. self.” Dr. Easa is a member of the Bhargavi S. Rao South Asia Consortium for Inter - People’s Watch. He is also the na - plantation drive is a total waste,” Krishen, who has stationed “The best way to start with IUCN Specialist Group and the Bhargavi S. Rao works as an in - disciplinary Water Resources Stu - tional working secretary of he points out. himself in the deserts of Rajas - would be building up a huge nur - Kerala State Expert Appraisal dependent researcher and consul - dies, Hyderabad, and executive Human Rights Defenders Alert – Recalling other failed attempts than for the last 15 years working sery of plants that are suited to Committee, in addition to various tant at the intersections of law, committee member of the Inter - India. He is the first Indian to re - at increasing the green cover, for the restoration of degraded ha - different kinds of soil,” suggests technical committees on Forest policy, planning and governance. national Water Association. He is ceive the Human Rights Award Krishen says, “We have often bitats, says “For a project as large Krishen. Department Projects. With over She has worked with and is still a the author of Cauvery Family, from Amnesty International, Ger - 42 years of experience in Biodi - trustee at the Environment Sup - which brought together farmers of many. He is the chairperson of the versity Research and Manage - port Group (ESG). She is curren - Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. International Dalit Solidarity Net - ment, Easa retired as Director tly engaged with the Public Health work and executive committee in-charge of the Kerala Forest Re - Foundation of India. S. Ranganathan member of the World Organisa - The myths of ‘Governance of search Institute. S. Ranganathan is the general tion Against Torture. Sundarrajan G secretary of the Tamil Nadu Cau - Ganga, river basins Suprabha Seshan Sundarrajan G is an engineer very Delta Farmers Welfare Asso - Jayaram Venkatesan Suprabha Seshan lives and by profession and volunteer with ciation. He has been a staunch Jayaram Venkatesan is the con - works at the Gurukula Botanical Poovulagin Nanbargal, a Tamil voice in the Cauvery water dis - venor of Arappor Iyakkam. It has Cauvery must be improved’ Sanctuary, located by the Kallam - Nadu-based voluntary environ - pute between Tamil Nadu and been actively campaigning for res - RITUPARNA PALIT ANJALY RAJ & MAHIMA MANIAR puzha river in Kerala. She is wor - ment group. It is involved in the Karnataka. He is the one who first toration of waterbodies in Chennai king on a book, “Rainforest campaign on climate change is - filed a case on behalf of Tamil city, by holding citizens audit, pu - “Whenever anybody calls a woman in Monitoring and reporting systems that would regularly tell Etiquette in a World Gone Mad” sues. Nadu delta farmers. blic hearings and protests, and by the name of a river, she better take to her us about the health of the Cauvery River and the catchment in which will be published next year filing cases. heels,” says Dunu Roy, a social activist. a credible and independent way should be put in, said Hi - by Context Publishers. Bittu Sahgal Dr.V.R.Devika With his satirical take on the Cauvery manshu Thakker, who works with South Asian Network for Bittu Sahgal is the editor of Dr.V.R.Devika is the founder Piyush Manush Calling project, Roy hints at the misery Dams, Rivers and People, in a video message. Shrinivas Badiger Sanctuary Asia and founder of the trustee of The Aseema Trust lin - Piyush Manush is a green entre - that tree plantation on the banks of the “We need to improve the governance of the Cauvery Shrinivas Badiger is a Fellow Sanctuary Nature Foundation. He king traditional performing arts preneur and environmental acti - Cauvery river will bring. basin,” Thakker said. The governance had to start from the at the Centre for Environment and works towards restoring the ecolo - and education. She has authored a vist. He has been planting trees, He says, “The patriarchal society will micro water sheds and connect people whose lives and liveli - Development, Ashoka Trust for gical underpinnings of the Indian biography of Dr.Rangabashyam restoring lakes, creating forest try to burden her with its sins, and she will hood depend on the river directly. “It has to be a bottom-up Research in Ecology and the En - subcontinent to guarantee water, and an English textbook series; patches and striving to protect have to jump from one place to another, mechanism, and not the top- down mechanism we have now.” vironment, Bengaluru. He's been food, health, livelihoods and eco - has edited a journal on folk forms them. trying to get rid of them. Suitable use of water from various sources including working on issues of climate- nomic security for its over one bi - for the Sangeet Natak Academy; Referring to Hindu mythology, Roy re - groundwater and ponds could help sustain the health of the water-agriculture-environment-li - llion people. and writes and lectures on Bharat - N.Ram minds the viewers of “the many sons of river. velihoods. He has a PhD in Water hanatyam, folk forms and history. N Ram, Chairman, The Hindu Ganga” who ended up abandoning her The water holding, storage and the recharging capacity of Resources Engineering from the Nityanand Jayaraman Publishing Group, and former each time after their purpose was served. the catchment areas had been decreasing over the years. University of Illinois at Urbana- Nityanand Jayaraman is a Prof. Thanga Jayaraman Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Talking of the origins of the Cauvery, he Thakker said the rain fell all over the ground and not just on Champaign. Chennai-based writer and social Born in a delta village in 1949, The Hindu and Group Newspa - says that it descended from heaven to ans - the river. When and how much of the water ended up in the activist, and member of the Chen - he has been cultivating paddy as a pers, is a political journalist. He wer the call of a drought-stricken Earth. river depended on the health of the catchment system inclu - Viju B nai Solidarity Group, an anti-cor - small farmer in two villages, one has written on a range of socio- Cauvery fled to the sea after being aban - ding the local water bodies, the soil and its carbon capacity, Viju B is the author of ‘Flood porate collective that fights in the Cauvery system and the political subjects and specialised doned by Agasthya, a Hindu mythological the wetlands, the local water sheds and most importantly the and Fury’ where he documented environmental injustice and dis - other in the Vennar system. He has in investigative journalism. character, who brought her to Earth and aquifer. All those source could help store water. large-scale mining, quarrying, de - crimination. He received the Pra - been contributing articles to the married her. Their condition would decide how much of water would forestation and mismanagement of ful Bidwai Memorial Award for The Hindu (Tamil) on aspects of Dr. Vandana Shiva Referring to the brunt borne by rivers of end up in the river. water resources in the Western Journalism and Cultural Activism non-urban culture of the Cauvery Dr Vandana Shiva, trained in South India, Roy narrates how Bhagirath, Without these basic ingredients for sustaining the river, Ghats region. He currently works in 2019. He teaches "Covering Delta. He has a doctorate in struc - physics, began activism as a vo - a Hindu mythological character, brought “there is little hope for Cauvery”, said Thakkar. as Metro Editor of The Times of Environment & Ecology" at the turalism. lunteer with the Chipko move - down the Ganga from the heaven to wash According to published data, in 2016, the Cauvery went dry India, Kochi. Viju reports chiefly Asian College of Journalism. ment. She started Navdanya, the away the sins of his 60,000 ancestors. at its source in Karnataka as rainfall fell by 40-70 per cent on issues at the intersection of de - Dr. Rama Kausalya seed and biodiversity conservation Ganga, who turned into a ‘black cow’ even though Tamil Nadu suffered some of its worst floods in velopment, ecology and culture. R. Nagendran Dr. Rama Kausalya is the foun - movement. Her books include after being polluted by the sins, travelled 2015. A year later, in the summer of 2017, Tamil Nadu faced R Nagendran is a former fa - der of the Marabu foundation and Violence of the Green Revolution, south so that she could cleanse herself after drought, the worst in 140 years, while Karnataka stared at a 36 Jagdish Krishnaswamy culty member of Anna University, musicologist with a deep know - Water Wars and Stolen Harvest. meeting the Narmada and the Cauvery. per cent shortfall in food grain production. Jagdish Krishnaswamy is a Se - Chennai. After his retirement as ledge of music, dance, literature, Dr Shiva is a recipient of many nior Fellow at ATREE Bengaluru. Professor of Environmental Engi - culture and heritage . She hails environmental awards, including He was a coordinating lead author neering and Science, he was an from Thillaisthanam situated the Right Livelihood Award.