The neighbouring Indian states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been engaged in a prolonged and messy wrangle in the last three decades. At the centre of the dispute is the single-most essential yet increasingly scarce resource in our planet - water.

The dispute over sharing of the Cauvery river water has remained unsolved despite the efforts, and the lack of it, of various governments on either side of the row. Things turned from bad to worse in 1991as the issue spiralled out of control with both states witnessing bloody riots resulting in the death of scores of people.

With monsoon playing truant this year, the half-asleep issue was revived and the two states have once again locked horns. The drought-ravaged Karnataka expressed its inability to release the water required by Tamil Nadu, prompting the latter to seek recourse in the Supreme Court (SC).

The SC directed Karnataka to release 1.25 TMC ft of water, which was later scaled down to 0.8 TMC ft by the Cauvery River Authority (CRA). The release of water by Karnataka was greeted with large-scale agitations across the state, with Mandya being the epicentre of the protests.

With one of the protesting farmers committing suicide by jumping into the Kabini river, the crisis deepened further, forcing Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna to order immediate stoppage of release of water. TN filed a contempt of court petition against Karnataka in the SC.