Lok Sabha Question No. 533 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-13
Subject: Inter-State River Water Sharing Disputes
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: M. UDHAYAKUMAR

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

## LOK SABHA

## UN STARRED QUESTION NO. 533

ANSWERED ON 13.12 .201 8

## INTER - STATE RIVER WATER SH ARING DISPUTES

## 533. ADV. M. UDHAYAKUMAR

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

(a) whether it is true that the Government is considering to bring a law to resolve inte - State river water sharing disputes;

(b) if so, the details ther eof;

(c) whether the Government is considering to set up 13 River Basin Authorities and if details thereof;

(d) whether the Government is also considering to bring in a River Basin Management Bill which will replace the River Board Act, 1956; and (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

## ( SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHW AL )

(a) & (b)The mechanism for adjudication of disputes relating to Inter -State river water and river valley thereof is available in the form of Inter State River Water Disputes (ISR 1956. When any request under the said Act is received from any State Governmen in r spect of any water dispute on the Inter -State rivers and the Central Government is of the opinion that water  dispute  cannot  be  settled  by  negotiations,  the  Central  Government  constitutes Disputes Tribunal for the adjudication of the wat er dispute.

In  order  to  further  streamline  the  adjudication  of  Inter - State  river  water  disputes,  the Inter - State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was introduced in Lok Sabha by t Minister  for  Water  Resources,  River  Development  and  Ganga  Rejuv enation  (MoWR,  RD  & GR)  on  14.03.2017  by  amending  the  existing  ISRWD  Act,  1956.  The  Bill  envisages  t constitute a standalone Tribunal with permanent establishment and permanent office spa infrastructure so as to obviate with the need to set up a sep arate Tribunal for each water dispute which is invariably a time -consuming process. The Bill was referred to Parliamentary Standing

Committee  on  Water  Resources  for  examination. The  Standing  Committee  has  submitted  its recommendation on the Bill vide Lok Sabha Secretariat letter dated 11.08.2017 in the f 'Nineteenth Report of Standing Committee on Water Resources on The Inter -State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 20 17'. On the basis of these recommendations, draft Cabinet Note on  Officials  Amendments  to  be  made  in  the  Bill  have  been  drafted  by  the  Ministr consultation with Ministry of Law and Justice.

(c) to (e) Draft River Basin Management Bill, 2018 to amend the existing River Boards Act, 1956  providing  for  the  establishment  of  River  Basin  Authority  for  the  regulatio development of Inter - State Rivers and River Basins has been prepared by the Ministry of Water Resources, RD & GR . The draft Bill has been ci rculated to all the States/UTs for consultation and it has been also been placed on the website of MoWR, RD & GR for public consultat The names of the thirteen (13) Inter - State river basins given in schedule -I of the proposed bill, for which River Bas in Authorities are to be constituted, are given in Annexure .

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## INTER - STATE RIVER BASIN UNDER THE ACT

The Inter - State river basins for which River Basin Authorities are to be constituted unde include: -

- I . Brahamaputra, Barak and other inter - State rivers of North East.
- II . Brahamani-Baitarini basin
- III . Cauvery basin,
- IV. Ganga basin
- V . Godavari basin,
- VI. Indus basin,
- VII. Krishna basin
- VIII . Mahanadi basin,
- IX. Mahi basin
- X . Narmada basin,
- XI. Pennar basin
- XII. Subarnrekha basin
- XIII . Tapi basin

## ANNEXURE

Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  part s (c)  to  (e)  of  Unstarred  Question  No.  533  to  be answered  in  Lok  Sabha on  13.12.2018  regarding  'Inter - State  River  Water  Sharing Disputes'.

SCHEDULE I