Decision on Krishna today

Panel to take a call on review of water allocation

The Justice Brijesh Kumar Tribunal will deliver its verdict on Wednesday on whether fresh allocations of Krishna waters will be taken up only for Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh or for all the four riparian states including Karnataka and Maharashtra.

In 2013, the tribunal had allocated 1,004 tmc feet water of the Krishna river between three states — Maharashtra, Karnataka and united AP. The Centre, however, extended the term of the tribunal during the bifurcation of AP as it had to allocate water between the residual state of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

However, the tribunal took over two years merely to decide on the methodology to be adopted — i.e. dividing the water already allocated to united AP between Telangana and residual AP, or review the water allocation for all the Krishna riparian states.

Basing on its decision on the contentious issue, the tribunal will continue the hearings.

While TS and AP have argued for overall review of the award, Karnataka and Maharashtra had contended that the AP Reorganisation Act is to be interpreted only for TS and AP.

Regardless of the tribunal’s decision, it appears that states may move the Supreme Court if the tribunal decision goes against their interest.

The apex court had already stayed the notification of the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal’s 2013 order by the Centre, on a plea from the united AP government. Until the notification of the order, the allocations made by the Bach-awat Tribunal will continue.

The Telangana government had also filed a plea before the apex court in 2014 seeking a total review of the award. It claimed that it did not get justice in the Krishna river water allocation — though a major part of the river passed through the state — due to faulty arguments of AP representatives.