Telangana plea for Krishna water opposed

Karnataka on Monday opposed before the Supreme Court a plea made by newly-formed Telangana challenging the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal’s award on allocation of water involving states of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra among others.

Senior advocate Fali S Nariman, appearing for Karnataka, contended before a bench of Justices Vikramjit Sen and Prafulla C Pant that the award has become final and binding and cannot be re-opened.

Raising question over maintainability of Telangana's plea, he said, “if the award was binding on erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh, it would be binding on newly-created state.” Nariman said. 

Telangana's contention that its concerns were not duly addressed on apportionment of water could lead to interpretation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

He said that the Tribunal was already seized of the issue which could not be retrospectively taken back. Maharashtra's counsel senior advocate T R Andhyarujina said that Telangana's plea was extra-ordinary as Tribunal's award of December 30, 2010 has become final. 

Senior advocate C S Vaidyanathan, appearing for Telangana contended that the concerns of the state which came into existence on June 2, were not taken care of and the Tribunal's award has still not been notified. 

The bench, however, agreed to consider the arguments on February 11 and issued notice to Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

In its plea, Telangana contended that the award required a fresh consideration and adjudication of the disputes as it did not have an opportunity to present its case.  

Telangana claimed that it faced the grim prospect of being left literally high and dry with hardly any water reaching its borders from any one of the three arms of the river Krishna namely Bhima, Tungabhadra or the main Krishna.  

The special leave petitions filed by Telangana sought direction for setting aside the decision and further report of the Tribunal and for a direction for total reconsideration.