Proposal to form Pennaiyar river tribunal awaits final nod: Centre to SC

The union government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that a proposal for the formation of the Pennaiyar Water Dispute Tribunal, to resolve issues of sharing water between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had been submitted to the Cabinet secretariat for consideration and was awaiting final approval.

In an affidavit, the water resources department of the Jal Shakti Ministry said, "in order to constitute a Tribunal, a proposal for formation of Pennaiyar Water Dispute Tribunal under the relevant section of the Inter State Water Dispute Act, 1956, has been submitted to the Cabinet secretariat for consideration and approval of the union cabinet. It is submitted that the union cabinet is yet to take a final decision in the matter."

Also Read | Pennaiyar: Karnataka tells Centre not to form tribunal

The top court had, on May 2, granted the union government one month's further time for setting up the tribunal and issuing a gazette notification for it.

The court was then hearing an original suit filed by Tamil Nadu against Karnataka.

In its plea, Tamil Nadu claimed that the rights and interest of the state in river Pennaiyar and its tributaries, an inter-state river, had been prejudicially affected by the executive action of Karnataka by its various works, and in violation of the 1892 and 1933 agreements.

It alleged that Karnataka had taken up construction of a reservoir across River Markandeya, a tributary of Pennaiyar, diversion of surplus waters of Varthur tank, implementation of lift irrigation scheme at Yellamallappa Chetty tank, pumping of water at Belahalli, besides a scheme to pump the waters of Pennaiyar from Thattanur village to distribute to 160 tanks.

On November 14, 2019, the Supreme Court permitted the Tamil Nadu government to invoke the powers of the union government in terms of the provisions of the Inter-State Water Disputes Act and seek the constitution of a tribunal on the dispute over sharing of water.