Lok Sabha Question No. 3292 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-20
Subject: River-based Inter-State Disputes
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Charanjit Singh Channi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3292

ANSWERED ON 20.03.2025

## RIVER-BASED INTER-STATE DISPUTES

## 3292.   SHRI CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has any information about river-based inter-state disputes and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has any specific plan to resolve these disputes, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(c)  whether  the  Government  has  any  plan  to  facilitate  coordination  among  States  for  equitable  water distribution, especially in drought-prone areas, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) The  Parliament  has  enacted  Inter-State  River  Water  Disputes  (ISRWD)  Act,  1956  for  adjudication  of disputes relating to waters of inter-State rivers and river valley thereof. 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 adjudication of the water dispute.

The  Central  Government  has,  so  far,  set  up  09  Tribunals  to  settle  inter-state  river  water  disputes among the States under the ISRWD Act, 1956. The status of various inter-State water disputes Tribunals is at Annexure.

Apart from the above, requests in respect of two disputes, i.e. in the Barakar-Dhadhar sub-basins and in the Pennaiyar basin have been received from the State of Bihar and State of Tamil Nadu respectively for the constitution of the Tribunal.

(b)  to  (c) Request  for  constitution  of  the  above  Water  Disputes  Tribunals  have  been  submitted  by  the concerned basin States to the Central Government under Section 3 and Section 14 (regarding Ravi & Beas Water Tribunal) of ISRWD Act, 1956. The procedure for adjudication/resolution of water disputes is already prescribed in the said Act. Regarding equitable water distribution, especially in drought-prone areas, it is to mention that concerned basin States need to include such issues in their request under Section 3 of the Act and need to present their cases before the Tribunal of water allocation/appropriate relief for such areas.

***

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a)  OF  UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  3292  TO  BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 20.03.2025 REGARDING 'RIVER-BASED INTER-STATE DISPUTES'.

## List of Water Disputes Tribunals till date

|   Sl. No. | Tribunal                   |                | Date of formation                      | Name River   | of Party States                                                | Present Status                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|-----------|----------------------------|----------------|----------------------------------------|--------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | Godavari Disputes (GWDT)   | Water Tribunal | April 1969                             | Godavari     | Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh& Odisha | Award given in July, 1980.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|         2 | Krishna Disputes (KWDT-I)  | Water Tribunal | April, 1969                            | Krishna      | Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh &Karnataka                         | Award Given in May, 1976. .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|         3 | Narmada Disputes (NWDT)    | Water Tribunal | October, 1969                          | Narmada      | Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat& Maharashtra                | Award given in December, 1979.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|         4 | Ravi & Waters (RBWT)       | Beas Tribunal  | 02.04.1986                             | Ravi &Beas   | Punjab, Haryana& Rajasthan                                     | Report and decision under section 5(2) of ISRWD Act, 1956 given in April 1987. Clarification/explanation were sought from the Tribunal under section 5(3) of the said Act by the party States and Central Government. The matter is sub-judice.                                                                                                                                                                           |
|         5 | Cauvery Disputes (CWDT)    | Water Tribunal | 02.06.1990                             | Cauvery      | Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu& Puduchery                       | Report and decision under section 5(2) of ISRWD Act, 1956 given on 05.02.2007 and published vide Notification dated 19.02.2013. Pursuant to Supreme Court final verdict dated 16.02.2018, the Tribunal was dissolved vide Notification dated 16.07.2018.                                                                                                                                                                  |
|         6 | Krishna Disputes (KWDT-II) | Water Tribunal | 02.04.2004                             | Krishna      | Maharashtra, Karnataka &Pesent Andhra Pradesh, Telangana       | Report and decision under section 5(2) of ISRWD Act, 1956 given on 30.12.2010. Further report under section 5(3) given by the Tribunal on 29.11.2013. However, as per Supreme Court Order dated 16.09.2011, till further order, report/decision of the Tribunal shall not be published in the official Gazette. The Tribunal is currently hearing matters as per section 89 of Andhra Pradesh Re- organisation Act, 2014. |
|         7 | Vansadhara Disputes (VWDT) | Water Tribunal | 24.02.2010 (effective date 17.09.2012) | Vansadhara   | Andhra Pradesh& Odisha                                         | Report and decision under section 5(2) of ISRWD Act, 1956 given on 13.09.2017. Further report under section 5(3) given by the Tribunal on 21.06.2021. Tribunal has been dissolved however, further report under section 5(3) as final Award has not been published.                                                                                                                                                       |
|         8 | Mahadayi Disputes (MWDT)   | Water Tribunal | 16.11.2010 (effective date 21.08.2013) | Mahadayi     | Goa, Karnataka& Maharashtra                                    | Pursuant to Hon'ble Supreme Court Order dated 20.02.2020, the Central Government has published MWDT Award dated 14.08.2018 u/s 5(2) vide Notification dated 27.02.2020. Further references under section 5(3) have been filed by the party States and the Central Government before the Tribunal. The matter is sub-judice.                                                                                               |
|         9 | Mahanadi Disputes          | Water Tribunal | 12.03.2018                             | Mahanadi     | Odisha& Chhattisgarh                                           | Matter u/s 5(2) of the ISRWD Act, 1956 is sub-judice in the Tribunal.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |

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