Lok Sabha Question No. 2181 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-12
Subject: Water-Sharing Disputes between Maharashtra and Karnataka
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Anil Yeshwant Desai

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2181

ANSWERED ON 12.02.2026

## WATER-SHARING DISPUTES BETWEEN MAHARASHTRA AND KARNATAKA

## 2181.  SHRI ANIL YESHWANT DESAI:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  whether the Union Government is aware of the long-pending water dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka and if so, the details thereof;

(b)  whether  the  Government  is  planning  to  intervene  in  the  ongoing  water-sharing  disputes  between Maharashtra and Karnataka to ensure equitable distribution and prevent further conflicts, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

(c)  whether  the  Mahadayi  Water  Disputes  Tribunal  (MWDT)  would  expedite  its  proceedings  to  resolve water-sharing issues between Maharashtra and Karnataka in view of the recent rise in disputes, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(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 Act, 1956 (hereinafter referred to as the Act). When any request under the act is received from any Sate 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 River Water Dispute Tribunal for the adjudication of the said water dispute.

In so far as inter-State water disputes involving the States of Maharashtra and Karnataka are concerned, the  Central  Government  constituted  the  Krishna  Water  Disputes  Tribunal-II  on  02.04.2004  in  respect  of Krishana River dispute and the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal on 16.11.2010 in respect of Mahadayi River  dispute.  These  Tribunals  are  adjudicating  inter-State  water  disputes  in  which Maharashtra  and Karnataka  are  party  States,  along  with  other  basin  States,  in  accordance  with  their  respective  terms  of reference

The  Krishna  Water  Disputes  Tribunal-II  (KWDT-II)  has  submitted  its  report  and  decision  under Section 5(3) of the Act  on 29.11.2013, recommending allocating of water amongst the States of Andhra

Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka. However, on account of stay by Supreme Court vide its order dated 16.09.2011, the award could not be published in the Official Gazette in terms of Section 6(1) of the Act, and the matter continues to remain sub-judice before the Hon'ble Supreme Court.

Subsequently, in view of the fact that the adjudication by KWDT-II on the terms of reference specified in section 89 of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, was still going on, the tenure of the Tribunal had been extended, every time by one more year. Presently, the term of the Tribunal has been extended for a further period of one-year w.e.f. 01.08.2025 vide Gazette Notification No. 3221(E) dt. 10.07.2025 .

The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) has submitted its report and decision under Section 5(2) of the Act to Central Government on 14.8.2018. Thereafter, under Section 5(3) of the Act, all threeparty States as well as Central Government have filed various references to MWDT for further clarification.

Meanwhile, three contesting states, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa have also approached the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India by way of filing separate Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) against the Report-cumAward of the Tribunal dated 14.8.2018. In this matter, as per Hon'ble Supreme Court order dated 20.2.2020, the Central Government has published MWDT Report-cum-Award dated 14.8.2018 in the Gazette of India on 27.2.2020, which is an action as per the provision of section 6 of the Act.

Taking into consideration the fact that the matters are sub-judice before the Hon'ble Supreme Court, and the joint request made by the learned Senior Counsels for the party States, and also keeping in view the demands of propriety, the MWDT has adjourned the proceedings in respect of the pending references under section  5(3)  of  the  Act  as  it  may  amount  to  continuing  with  the  parallel  proceedings.  The  matter  is  subjudice.  Accordingly,  the  term  of  Tribunal  has  been  extended  for  a  further  period  of  one-year  w.e.f. 16.08.2025 vide Gazette Notification No. S.O. 3628(E) dated 05.08.2025.

*****