CAUVERY CAULDRON BOILS
The Cauvery Waters Dispute Tribunal gave its final verdict in February 2007. It is binding on the three (1) riparian States of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Because of the (2) intransigent attitude of Karnataka, (3) abetted by successive Union governments on political considerations, and the attitude of the Supreme Court, the Tribunal’s final verdict, (4) by no stretch of imagination favorable to Tamil Nadu, could not be implemented till now. The (5) sticking point is the constitution of a Cauvery Management Board on the lines of the Bhakra-Beas Management Board involving the States of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh. Karnataka is not a stranger to such boards.
The Tungabhadra Board, the first of its kind after independence, regulating water sharing between Andhra Pradesh, including Telangana, and Karnataka, has been functioning since 1953 without any (6) hitch. The Supreme Court (7) muddied the waters by admitting a spate of Special Leave Petitions against the Tribunal’s final order without any discussion of the bar on the jurisdiction of the courts provided for under Article 262 of the Constitution and enacted by Parliament in the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956.
After admitting the SLPs, the Supreme Court went into hibernation for the next seven years. By itself, the apex court lacks technical competence to adjudicate river water disputes. Nevertheless, the SLPs were admitted, taking recourse to Article 136(1) of the Constitution. After many a (8) fitful hearing, the Supreme Court on 18 May (9) brought the curtain down by directing the Union government to notify in the Gazette the constitution of a 10-member Cauvery Water Management Authority and give effect to the authority with (10) promptitude and before the onset of the south-west monsoon. Full details of the ‘scheme’ have not been divulged. According to the draft scheme, the Cauvery Management Authority will not take over operation and maintenance of the dams in the Cauvery system, but will regulate the release of water in accordance with the final award of the Tribunal subject to availability of water.
1. RIPARIAN (adjective) तटवर्ती
Meaning: relating to or situated on the banks of a river.
Synonyms: riverine, coastal, littoral, continental, inshore, marine, seaside, shore, bank.
Antonyms: intercontinental, inland.
2. INTRANSIGENT (adjective) दुराग्रही
Meaning: unwilling or refusing to change one’s views or to agree about something.
Synonyms: uncompromising, inflexible, unyielding, resolute, stubborn, obstinate, obdurate, bull-headed, iron-willed, unrelenting, inexorable, inveterate, rigid, adamant, tenacious.
Antonyms: yielding, flexible, submissive, tractable, acquiescent, subservient, obsequious.
3. ABET (verb) उकसाना
Meaning: encourage or assist (someone) to do something wrong.
Synonyms: brew, ferment, foment, incite, instigate, provoke, cultivate, encourage, activate, energize, enliven.
Antonyms: bridle, check, constrain, curb, inhibit, regulate, restrain, tame, allay, calm, quiet, settle, soothe, still, subdue, tranquilize.
4. BY NO STRETCH OF IMAGINATION (idiom) अनुमानतः नहीं
Meaning: Unable to happen within, at, or beyond the limits of the imagination; in no possible situation or from no conceivable perspective.
5. STICKING POINT (noun) बाधा
Meaning: something that people disagree about and that prevents progress from being made in discussions.
Synonyms: deadlock, impasse, obstacle, bone of contention, stumbling block, impediment, barricade, encumbrance.
Antonym: solution.
6. HITCH (noun) अड़चन
Meaning: a temporary difficulty or problem.
Synonyms: problem, difficulty, snag, setback, hindrance, obstruction, complication, barrier, trouble, interruption, delay, check, stoppage, glitch.
Antonyms: aid, convenience, expedience, assist, adequacy, contribution.
7. MUDDY THE WATERS (idiom) हालात बिगाड़ देना
Meaning: To introduce something, typically information, to an issue or situation that makes it less clear or more confusing.
8. FITFUL (adjective) अस्थिर
Meaning: active or occurring spasmodically or intermittently; not regular or steady.
Synonyms: intermittent, sporadic, spasmodic, disturbed, disrupted, patchy, irregular, variable, uneven, unsettled, unsteady.
Antonyms: constant, continuous, habitual, periodic, regular, repeated, steady, uniform, orderly, unwavering.
9. BRING DOWN THE CURTAIN (idiom) अंजाम देना
Meaning: to bring something to an end; to declare something to be at an end.
10. PROMPTITUDE (noun) मुस्तैदी
Meaning: the quality or habit of arriving or being ready on time.
Synonyms: alacrity, aptness, quickness, readiness, willingness. earliness, timeliness.
Antonyms: tardiness, unpunctuality, belatedness, lateness, slowness.