The Union Cabinet recently sanctioned further Terms of Reference (ToR) to the current Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) under the Inter State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. The move is meant to adjudicate and manage water-related disagreements between the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Understanding the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II)
Established by the Central government in April 2004 as per Section 3 of the Inter State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, the KWDT-II was created to settle disputes related to sharing water from the Krishna River. Keys states involved include Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. Based on factors such as water availability, state demands, and other relevant variables, the tribunal recommends and apportions water from the Krishna River to each state, defining their respective shares.
An Overview of the Krishna Water Dispute
The crux of the Krishna Water Dispute revolves around a fair distribution of water from the Krishna River among Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. As the river transverses these states, disagreements frequently arise due to varying needs, a history of disputes, and changes in political and administrative landscapes.
One of the key disputes involves the usage of water from the Srisailam reservoir, located on the Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh, for power generation purposes by the state of Telangana. Since its creation in 1956, Andhra Pradesh has been locked in a tussle over water rights, which were addressed through the establishment of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT) in 1973 and subsequently by a second KWDT in 2004.
The History and Current Status of Disputes
In 2010, the second KWDT made allocations for the Krishna water at 65% dependability and surplus flows as follows: 81 TMC for Maharashtra, 177 TMC for Karnataka, and 190 TMC for Andhra Pradesh. Dissatisfied with this decision, Andhra Pradesh challenged it legally in 2011, which led to a ‘further report’ being issued by KWDT in 2013. However, this too was challenged by Andhra Pradesh in the Supreme Court in 2014.
The creation of Telangana in 2014 further complicated matters, as Andhra Pradesh called for a review of water allocations among the four states. Maharashtra and Karnataka countered by arguing that since Telangana was formed through the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, any allocation should come from Andhra Pradesh’s share approved by the tribunal.
Under Article 262 of the Indian Constitution and the Inter-State Water Disputes Act (1956), the Central government has the power to establish ad hoc tribunals to resolve water disputes between states. Currently, the KWDT is working on new terms of reference to determine the distribution of Krishna River water between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the future.
The Krishna River: Origin, Drainage, and Tributaries
Starting near Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra, the Krishna River is the second-largest river in peninsular India, after the Godavari River. It runs through four states – 303 km in Maharashtra, 480 km in North Karnataka, and the remaining 1300 km journey in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
Several tributaries feed the river on its course. The right bank tributaries include The Ghatprabha, the Malprabha, and the Tungabhadra, while left bank tributaries consist of the Bhima, the Musi, and the Munneru.
Well-known for its hydropower potential, the river houses major Hydro Power stations such as Koyna, Tungabhadara, SriSailam, Nagarjuna Sagar, Almatti, Naryanpur, and Bhadra. In Indian mythology, the Krishna River also bears significance as the east-flowing river of peninsular India mentioned in the Puranas, Jatakas, and Hathigumpha inscriptions of Kharavela.
