Karnataka moves SC challenging Mahadayi tribunal award

The Karnataka government on Monday filed a plea in the Supreme Court, challenging validity of the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal’s decision which limited the allocation of water to 5.40 tmc to the state and allowed surplus water to flow into the sea.

The August 14 decision of the tribunal also granting 1.33 tmc to Maharashtra and 33.395 tmc to Goa, thereby resulting in the surplus of 147.935 tmc of water going into the sea unallocated to any riparian state resulted in grave miscarriage of justice to Karnataka and all other party states, it contended.

The state government also claimed the tribunal’s order was contrary to the decision of the Supreme Court in Cauvery water dispute which mandated determination of equitable shares among riparian states in a river water dispute.

In a special leave petition, the Karnataka government contended the tribunal reduced its water claims from 24.15 to 5.40 tmc.

Similarly, the tribunal reduced the claim of Karnataka for non-consumptive utilisation of 14.571 tmc for power generation to 8.02 tmc. The tribunal also rejected the proposed diversion of 7 tmc out of surplus water.

“The State of Karnataka had claimed 7.56 TMC of water under Kalasa-Bandura project for the supply of drinking water to Hubbali-Dharwad twin cities, Kundagol town, enroute villages, etc,” it said.

“Having come to the conclusion that 188.06 TMC at 75% dependability of water is available in the Mahadayi river basin and in spite of the very prayers of all the three states for equitable allocation of waters for consumptive use, it has limited the allocation,” the state government said.

Though Goa, having realised the need for drinking water, withdrew its complaint by a letter on January 10, 2007, the tribunal has erroneously allocated only 3.90 tmc as against the claim of 7.56 tmc for the project.