Lok Sabha Question No. 446 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-17
Subject: Inter-State River Water Sharing Disputes
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: DODDAALAHALLI KEMPEGOWDA SURESH, CH. MALLA REDDY, E. T. MOHAMMED BASHEER, (ADV.) JOICE GEORGE, P. C. MOHAN, Dr. BHOLA SINGH, GOPALAKRISHNAN CHINNARAJ, M. B. RAJESH, KURUPPASSERY VARKEY THOMAS, NALIN KUMAR KATEEL, J. JAYASINGH THIYAGARAJ NATTERJEE, BALASUBRAMANIAM SENGUTTUVAN, VASANTHI M., K. ASHOK KUMAR, K.R.P. PRABAKARAN, B.N. CHANDRAPPA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  †446

ANSWERED ON 17.11.2016

## INTER-STATE RIVER WATER SHARING DISPUTES

| 446.   | SHRI D.K. SURESH          | SHRI CH. MALLA REDDY    |
|--------|---------------------------|-------------------------|
|        | SHRI E.T. MOHAMMEDBASHEER | ADV. JOICE GEORGE       |
|        | SHRI P.C. MOHAN           | DR. BHOLA SINGH         |
|        | DR. C. GOPALAKRISHNAN     | SHRI M.B. RAJESH        |
|        | PROF. K.V. THOMAS         | SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL |
|        | SHRI J.J.T. NATTERJEE     | SHRI B. SENGUTTUVAN     |
|        | SHRIMATI VASANTHIM        | SHRI K. ASHOK KUMAR     |
|        | SHRI K.R.P. PRABAKARAN    | SHRI B.N. CHANDRAPPA    |

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

- (a)  the  details  and  the  current  status  of  each  of  the  inter-State  river  water  sharing  dispute including Cauvery water in the country along with agreements signed between the States for the purpose including the guidelines/rules/norms fixed/ framed to settle such disputes;
- (b) the quantum of water demanded by the States and being supplied to each State in the country at  present  from  each  of  the  rivers  involved  in  such  disputes  along  with  the  details  of  the objections received from States by indicating the action taken thereon, if any;
- (c) the details/names of the Committees/ Boards/Authorities/ Tribunals/Commissions constituted/to be constituted for resolving the disputes along with the progress achieved in regard to water sharing amongst States so far;
- (d) the details of latest directions issued by Hon'ble Supreme Court and various High Courts in the matter, if any, along with the action taken by the Government thereon; and
- (e) the steps taken/to be taken by the Government to resolve all the inter-State river water sharing disputes  along  with  efforts  made  to  ensure  that  due  /agreed  share  of  water  from  the  rivers involved in disputes is released to concerned States without any hurdle?

## ANSWER

## THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  WATER  RESOURCES,  RIVER  DEVELOPMENT  & GANGA REJUVENATION (DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

- (a) Central Government has so far set up eight tribunals to settle water disputes among the States under the inter-State River Water Dispute (ISRWD) Act, 1956. The details and the current status of each of the inter-State river water sharing dispute in the country are at Annexure-I.

(b) Parties  to  Agreements/Decision  of  Tribunals  are  entitled  to  their  share  of  water  in concerned  river  basin  as  per  provisions  of  such  Agreements/decision  of  Tribunals.  Supply  of water to concerned States varies on year to year basis depending mainly on availability of water in  the  basin  in  a  particular  year  and  other  relevant  factors  and  is  monitored  by  the  concerned Board/Authority/regulatory body functioning in a particular river basin/ for project.

(c) The Narmada Control Authority has been set up for implementation of the Award of the Narmada Tribunal.  Similarly, a Supervisory Committee has been set up for Cauvery under the Chairpersonship of Secretary (WR, RD & GR) to facilitate implementation mechanism between the  four  Party  States.  In  addition,  other  Administrative  mechanisms  such  as  Bhakra  Beas Management  Board,  KRMB  and  GRMB  have  been  put  in  place  under  the  respective  States Reorganization Acts.

(d) The Hon'ble Supreme Court has been seized of implementation order of CWDT dated 05/02/2007  from  September  2016  onwards  and  has  directed  State  of  Karnataka  to  release specified quantum of water on daily basis to be made available at Billigundulu site of CWC. The Hon'ble Supreme Court directed constitution of a Technical Team to visit the Cauvery  Basin area  to  assess  the  ground  realities  in  the  Basin.  Accordingly,  a  High  Level  Technical  was constituted  by  Ministry  of  WR,RD&GR.  The  Team  has  submitted  its  report  to  the  Hon'ble Supreme Court on 17.10.2016.

(e) The Union Government endeavors to resolve the disputes through discussions between the States.  Failing which, under section 3 of Inter State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956,  Central Government  constitutes a  River  Water Disputes  Tribunal for  the  adjudication  of the water dispute. Whereafter, appropriate mechanisms, control authority, supervisory committee, Board  are put in place to implement the Award of the Tribunal.

****

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) to (c) in respect of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.446 on Inter-State River Water Sharing Disputes for answer on 17.11.2016.

## Status of Inter-State water disputes Tribunal constituted under ISRWD Act, 1956

|   S. No | Name of Tribunal                        | States concerned                                               | Date of constitution   | Present Status                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|---------|-----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) | Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh &Odisha | April, 1969            | Award given on July, 1980                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|       2 | Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal -I      | Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,                        | April, 1969            | Award given on May, 1976                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|       3 | Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal         | Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra             | October, 1969          | Award given on December, 1979                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|       4 | Ravi &Beas Water Tribunal               | Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan                                  | April, 1986            | Report and decision under section 5(2) given in April, 1987. Clarification/explanation sought from the Tribunal under Section 5(3) of the ISRWD Act by the party States.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|       5 | Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT)  | Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puduchery                    | June, 1990             | Report and decision given on 5.2.2007 which was published vide Notification dated 19.2.2013. Clarification/explanation sought from the Tribunal under Section 5(3) of the said Act by the party States. Also, Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by party States in Hon'ble Supreme Court, as such the matter is sub- judice.                                                                                                                             |
|       6 | Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal -II     | Karnataka, Telengana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra           | April, 2004            | Report and decision given on 30.12. 2010. Further report given by the Tribunal on 29.11.2013. However, as per Supreme Court Order dated 16.9.2011, till further order, decision taken by the Tribunal on references filed by States and Central Government shall not be published in the official Gazette. As such, matter is sub- judice. Term of the Tribunal has been extended for a further period of one year w.e.f. 01.08.2016 to address the terms |

| S. No   | Name of Tribunal                   | States concerned               | Date of constitution                                                                                                                  | Present Status                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|---------|------------------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         |                                    |                                |                                                                                                                                       | of reference as contained in section 89 of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. The Government of Telengana has filed a SLP 33623-26 of 2014 and WP(C) 545 of 2015 in the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the matter. The matter is sub- judice.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| 7.      | VansadharaWate r Disputes Tribunal | Andhra Pradesh &Odisha         | February, 2010 However, as per the Supreme Court order the date of reckoning of the constitution of the Tribunal is w.e.f. 17.9.2012  | Vansadhara Water Disputes Tribunal in its Order dated 17.12.2013 has directed to constitute a 3-member Protem Supervisory Flow Management and Regulation Committee on River Vansadhara to implement its Order. State Govt. of Odisha has filed Special Leave to Appeal (Civil) No.3392 of 2014 with regard to the Vansadhara Water Disputes Tribunal Judgement dated 17.12.2013. The matter is sub-judice. Final Report and Decision under Section 5(2) of the ISRWD Act, 1956 not given by the Tribunal. |
| 8.      | Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal   | Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra | November, 2010 However, vide notification dated 13.11.2014 date of reckoning of the constitution of the Tribunal is w.e.f. 21.08.2013 | Final Report and Decision under Section 5(2) of the ISRWD Act, 1956 not given by the Tribunal.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |