Lok Sabha Question No. 822 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-02
Subject: Inter State Water Disputes
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Komati Reddy Venkat Reddy

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 822

ANSWERED ON 02.12.2021

## INTER STATE WATER DISPUTES

## 822. SHRI KOMATI REDDY VENKAT REDDY

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government proposes to resolve Inter-State water disputes;

- (b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  the  number  of  such  cases  pending  till  date  and  timeframe  fixed  to solve all such cases; and
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

(SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)

(a)  to  (c)  For  adjudication  of  disputes  relating  to  waters  of  inter-State  rivers  and  river  valley  thereof,  the Parliament has enacted the Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956. When any request under the said Act is received from any State Government in respect of any water dispute on the inter-State rivers, and the Central Government is of the opinion that the water dispute cannot be settled by negotiations, the Central Government constitutes a Water Disputes Tribunal for the adjudication of the said water dispute.

Currently, 5 water disputes Tribunals are active, details of which are given at Annexure .

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## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTs (a) TO (c)  OF  UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO.822  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  02.12.2021  REGARDING  'INTER  STATE WATER DISPUTES'

## Status of active Inter-State Water Disputes Tribunals relating to the sharing of river water

| S. No   | Name of Tribunal                             | States concerned                                        | Date of constitution                                                              | Present Status                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|---------|----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1.      | Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal -II(KWDT-II) | Karnataka, T elengana, An dhra Pradesh and Maharas htra | 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 re ferences filed by States and Central Gover nment shall not be published in the officia l Gazette. As such, matter is sub-judice. T erm of the Tribunal was extended for a pe riod of two years w.e.f. 1 st August, 2014 t o address the terms of reference as contain ed in section 89 of Andhra Pradesh Reorg anisation Act, 2014. Thereafter, the term o f the Tribunal has been extended six times for period of one year latest being w.e.f. 0                                                                                                                                                   |
| 2.      | Mahanadi Water Dispute s Tribunal            | Odisha and C hhattisgarh                                | 12 th March, 018                                                                  | 1.08.2021. 2 The Government of Odisha had filed a co mplaint dated 19.11.2016 with the Ministr y of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation under Section 3 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes A ct, 1956 read with Inter-State River Water D i s p u t e R u l e s , 1 9 5 9 . The Central Government has constituted Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal vide Notification dated 12.03.2018. Subsequen tly, the reference was made to the Tribuna l under Section 5(1) of the ISRWD Act, 1 956 on 17.04.2018. The matter is thus und er adjudication in the Tribunal. The Centr al Government, vide Notification dated 3r d June, 2021 has extended the tenure of th e Tribunal for a period of two years upto 1 1th March, 2023 or till the submission of r eport, whichever is earlier. |
| 3 .     | Mahadayi Water Dispute s Tribunal(MWDT)      | Goa, Karnata ka and Mahar ashtra                        | 16 th Novembe r, 2010 However, vid e notification dated 13.11.2 014 date of recko | The MWDT submitted its report under Se ction 5(2) of the ISRWD Act, 1956 to the Central Government on 14.08.2018. Furth er references under Section 5(3) have bee n filed by the party States and the Central Government before the Tribunal. The matt er is sub-judice. The term of the Tribunal                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |

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|     |                                           |                                 | ning of the co nstitution of t he Tribunal is w.e.f. 21.08.2 013 has ne ther Act,                                                      | been extended for a further period of o year w.e.f. 20.08.2021 to submit its Fur Report under Section 5(3) of ISRWD 1956. The Central Government has notified the Award and Final Decision of the MWDT given on 14.08.2018 in the Gazette of Indi a vide notification No. S.O. 888(E). dated 27.02.2020.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|-----|-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 4 . | Ravi & Beas Water Tribu nal(RBWT)         | Punjab, Hary ana and Rajas than | April, 1986                                                                                                                            | Report and decision under section 5(2) giv en in April, 1987. Clarification/explanatio n sought from the Tribunal under Section 5(3) of the said Act by the party States. Pr esidential Reference 1 of 2004 was made on the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004. The Hon'ble Supreme Court h as pronounced the judgement on President ial Reference in negative. Further, Govern ment of Haryana has filed IA No. 6 of 201 6 in OS No. 6 of 1996 in the matter. The matter is subjudice.                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 5.  | Vansadhara Water Disput es Tribunal(VWDT) | Andhra Prade sh &Odisha         | February, 201 0 However, as er the Suprem e Court order the date of rec koning of the constitution f the Tribunal is w.e.f. 17.9. 2012 | p o The Tribunal has submitted its report to th e Central Government under Section 5(2) of the ISRWD Act, 1956 on 13.09.2017. F urther, State of Odisha and the Central Go vernment filed reference under Section 5( 3) of the ISRWD Act, 1956 on 11.12.2017 and 12.12.2017 respectively. The State of Odisha has also filed I.A. No.1 of 2019 b efore the Tribunal and the Tribunal gave it s judgement in the matter on 23.09.2019. Subsequently, the State of Odisha has file d SLPC(C) No.27930/2019 before the Su preme Court against Order dated 23.09.20 19 which is sub-judice. Now, the Tribunal has furnished its Further Report dated 21. 06.2021 under section 5(3) of the ISRWD Act. |

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