The latest spark in the tenuous ties between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, already at war over the sharing of the Cauvery waters, is a proposal resurrected from the archives by Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi to tap the Hogenakkal waters for quenching the dry western districts of Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri. No sooner than the DMK chief laid the foundation for the Rs 1,334-crore scheme at Krishnagiri did former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa undertake a boat ride in the little river to establish Kannadiga rights over its water. More than the water, his critics across the border in Tamil Nadu insist, the BJP leader was looking for votes in the state elections coming up shortly. Not to be outdone in the hotting up battle, Mr Karunanidhi declared at a state function that those who protested against his project were linguistic fanatics and come what may, he would get the Hogenakkal waters. The activists in Bangalore have forced Tamil films off the screen, stoned the Tamil Sangam office in the city and are gearing up for more flexing of Kannadiga muscle. It was too much of a temptation to waste for some gentlemen of the Madras high court Bar who attacked a restaurant across the road, which they frequent every day for their lunches, because a Kannadiga reportedly runs it. More is in store as the filmstars have jumped into the fray - which is nothing new since the trend was set by the late Kannada hero Rajkumar in the course of the Cauvery battle - and will sit in fast in Chennai on Friday. With the situation threatening to slip out of control, notwithstanding assurances from the Karnataka government that adequate police forces have been deployed to protect Tamils and their properties, former Karnataka chief minister and senior Congressman S.M. Krishna and the DMK's Union minister T.R. Baalu have met the Prime Minister seeking his mediation. Mr Krishna wants New Delhi to tell Mr Karunanidhi to apply brakes on his Hogenakkal project until his state elections install a popular government to take up talks with the neighbour. Mr Baalu has carried the message that Tamil Nadu is merely implementing a promise made way back in 1998 that the state could pick its share of Hogenakkal water for Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri while letting Karnataka draw its fill for the Bangalore taps. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has done the usual bit, expressing concern and hoping that the two squabbling states will sort out the problem through talks. His office could do precious little in the past while dealing with similar inter-state water disputes. Former World Bank vice-president Ismail Serageldin had predicted that the next world war would be over water. Our politicians seem to be trying very hard to grab the credit for igniting that big war in their backyard.