Mahanadi Water Dispute: Union Cabinet approves proposal for Tribunal formation

KalingaTV News Network

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved for the Mahanadi water dispute Tribunal under Inter-State River Dispute Act, 1956, which was a longstanding demand of Odisha.

It is expected that with adjudication of dispute by the tribunal, the long-pending dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh on Mahanadi river will come to a final settlement.

The tribunal shall determine water sharing among basin states on the basis of the overall availability of water in the complete Mahanadi basin, contribution of each state, the present utilization of water resources in each state and the potential for future development.

The tribunal shall be consists of a Chairman and two other members nominated by the Chief Justice of India from among the Judges of the Supreme Court or High Court.

The tribunal will submit its report and decision within a period of three years which can be extended to a further not exceeding two years due to unavoidable reasons.

Notably, the Supreme Court had on January 23 directed the Union government to form the tribunal within one month.

Odisha has been opposing Chhattisgarh’s plans to build barrages on the upper catchment of Mahanadi river. It had claimed that construction of barrages would adversely affect the interest of Odisha farmers. It had urged the Union government to form a tribunal to resolve the issue.

The Centre had apprised the court to issue a notification by November 19, 2017 for formation of tribunal. However, later it had filed an affidavit in the apex court and had refused to constitute a tribunal saying that the dispute should be sorted out through negotiations between the concerned parties.

The Centre had blamed the Odisha government over failure of negotiation. It had told the court that Odisha was not coming forward for negotiation in the matter.

Earlier, on July 25, 2017 the Centre and both the state governments presented their sides in the court.