Lok Sabha Question No. 4389 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-22
Subject: Tribunal for Mahanadi River Water Dispute
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: T.G. VENKATESH BABU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UN STARRED QUESTION NO. 4389

## ANSWERED ON 22.0 3.201 8

## TRIBUNAL FOR MAHANAD I RIVER WATER DISPUT E

## 4389. SHRI VENKATESH BABU T.G.

Will the Minister of WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has any proposal to set up a national tribunal to resolve v water disputes in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof and time by which it is likely to be set up;

(c) whether the Government has approved setting up of a tribunal to resolve the disput sharing of river water of Mahanadi and also found an amicable solution on Cauvery water dis (d ) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION & PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

## ( SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHW AL )

(a) & (b) In order to streamline the existing process of adjudication of inter - State river water disputes by way of amending the Inter State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956, the Inter Sta Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Minister for WR, RD &  GR  on  14.03.2017.  The  Bill  envisages  to  constitute  a  standalone  Tribunal  with  pe establishment  and  permanent  office  space  and  infrastructure  so  as  to  obviate  the  need separate Tribunal for each water d ispute which is invariably time - consuming process. The proposed amendments in the Bill will speed up the adjudication of water disputes referred to it. referred to Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources for examination, which su itted its  recommendation  on  the  Bill  vide  Lok  Sabha  Secretariat  letter  dated  11.08.2017  in  t 'Nineteenth  Report  of  Standing  Committee  on  Water  Resources  on  the  Inter - State  River  Water Disputes  (Amendment)  Bill,  2017'.  Accordingly,  the  Ministry  ha s prepared draft Cabinet Note for Official Amendments to Inter - State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017.

(c) & (d) The  Central  Government  has  constituted Mahanadi  Water  Disputes  Tribunal  v Notification  No.  S.O.  1114(E)  dated  12.03.2018  for  a djudication  of  water  disputes  between  the concerned States on Mahanadi river.

Further, the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) submitted its reports and de under Section 5(2) of the ISRWD Act, 1956 to the Central Government on 05.02.2007 which was published in the Official Gazette on 19.2.2013 to make it effective and binding on party S determined the yield of Cauvery basin at Lower Coleroon Anicut as 740 TMC at 50 % dependa It  allo cated  419  TMC  to  Tamil  Nadu,  270  TMC  to  Karnataka,  30  TMC  to  Kerala  and  7  TMC  to Puducherry. It also allowed 10 TMC for environmental purpose and 4 TMC as inevitable esca the  sea.  It  also  directed  the  Karnataka  to  make  available  192  TMC  at  inter - Sta te  contact  point Billigundulu by specifying monthly schedule.

The party States filed Civil Appeals against the order of CWDT dated 5.2.2007 be Supreme Court. In this regard, the Supreme Court has pronounced its final verdict 16.02.20 share of Karnataka has been increased to 284.75 TMC and the share of Tamil Nadu has been reduced to 404.25 TMC.  Consequently, Karnataka has now to make available 177.25 TMC at Billigun The Supreme Court also directed the Central Government to frame a scheme under Section 6 the ISRWD Act, 1956 to give effec t to the award of the Supreme Court.

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