Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA)

What is CWMA?

• CWMA = Cauvery Water Management Authority.
• It was constituted by the Central Government in 2018 following the Supreme Court’s directions in the Cauvery water dispute.
• It is associated with implementation of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award, as modified by the Supreme Court in 2018.
• Ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Why was it Created?

• The Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment directed the Centre to frame a scheme for implementing the final decision of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
• The resulting mechanism included:
  • Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA)
  • Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC)

Cauvery River — Prelims Facts

• Origin: Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri Hills, Karnataka.
• States involved: Primarily Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
• Tributaries: Important tributaries include Kabini, Hemavati, Harangi, Shimsha, Arkavathy, Bhavani, Amaravati and Noyyal.
• Outflow: The Cauvery ultimately drains into the Bay of Bengal.

CWMA vs CWRC

CWMA is NOT a constitutional body.

It was created through a Central Government scheme/notification pursuant to the Supreme Court’s 2018 directions, rather than directly by the Constitution.

UPSC Prelims Question — English

Q. With reference to the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), consider the following statements:

1. It was constituted following the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment on the Cauvery water dispute.
2. It is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Cauvery water-sharing arrangement.
3. It is a constitutional body established directly under the Constitution of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Explanation: CWMA was constituted in 2018 pursuant to the Supreme Court’s directions for implementing the Cauvery water-sharing arrangement. It is not a constitutional body.