The Cauvery dispute is one of the most prominent examples of the complexity surrounding the inter-state river water sharing.

The Cauvery dispute is one of the most prominent examples of the complexity surrounding the inter-state river water sharing. Tamil Nadu and Puducherry got 75 per cent of the surplus water. Post-independence, state boundaries were redrawn based on linguistic considerations and not on the geographical realities and ecological dynamics. India’s per capita annual water availability was 5200 m3 in 1951, which reduced to 2309m3 in 1991 and 1902 m3 in 2001. At present, most parts of the country have water availability below 1700 m3. The Constitution provides states the right to ‘use’ the river water.