Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal Granted Six-Month Extension Amid Ongoing Disputes

The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal, established in November 2010 to address water-sharing conflicts between Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, has received another six-month extension from the Ministry of Jal Shakti. This extension, effective from August 20, comes after over 13 years of deliberations.

A Prolonged Resolution

Despite the tribunal submitting its report and decision in August 2018, the issue remains unresolved due to ongoing objections from all three involved states. The continuous disputes and requests for additional reports have resulted in this being the sixth extension granted since the initial report was presented. The tribunal’s role has been critical in mediating the complex water-sharing arrangements among the states, but consensus has yet to be achieved.

Other Active Tribunals

The Mahadayi Tribunal is one of five active tribunals in India, each dealing with different water-sharing disputes. The oldest of these is the Ravi & Beas Water Disputes Tribunal, established in April 1986, which addresses disputes among Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. The second oldest is the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal, created in April 2004 to mediate disputes between Maharashtra, Karnataka, and the former Andhra Pradesh.

The Vansadhara Water Disputes Tribunal, formed in February 2010, handles conflicts between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The most recent, the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal, was constituted in March 2018 to address disputes between Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Unresolved Disputes

Beyond the active tribunals, there are two unresolved water disputes that have yet to be addressed by a formal tribunal under the Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956. Bihar has raised a dispute regarding the Tilaiya-Dhadhar diversion scheme, involving Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. Tamil Nadu has also raised concerns regarding water usage that remain unresolved.

The extension of the Mahadayi Tribunal reflects the ongoing complexity of inter-state water disputes in India and the challenges faced in reaching a conclusive resolution.