SC to Centre: Implement tribunal order on Mahadayi

BENGALURU: Karnataka heaved a sigh of relief as the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to notify the final award of Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal for sharing of water among Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra and enable Karnataka government to implement it.
A bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta passed the interim order after hearing the counsel from the three states. Karnataka had sought a directive for notification of the award passed on August 14, 2018. Maharashtra and Goa - other stakeholders - did not oppose the plea.
The bench said the publication of the tribunal award would be subject to the outcome of the pending petitions filed by all three riparian states.
Mahadayi order is a big win for Karnataka
The Karnataka government has challenged the validity of the tribunal’s decision that limited water allocation to 5.4tmcft of water to the state as against 36tmcft, and allowed 147tmcft of surplus water to flow into the sea.
Union minister and Dharwad MP Prahlad Joshi welcomed the order and said he has requested his colleague in charge of water resources, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, to take steps and notify the tribunal award.
“Once the tribunal award is notified, Karnataka can take up construction of drinking water project without hurdles,” a senior water resources officer said.
The tribunal, in its final order, allocated 13.4tmcft of water (including 3.9tmcft for diversion into a depleted Malaprabha river basin) from Mahadayi river basin to Karnataka. Maharashtra was allotted 1.33tmcft and Goa was given 24tmcft.
Karnataka, which has locked horns with Goa on the larger issue of sharing Mahadayi water, had petitioned the tribunal seeking release of 7.56tmcft of water for Kalasa-Banduri canal project. Goa opposed it, delaying notification of the tribunal order.
The Kalasa-Banduri Nala project, which will utilise 7.56tmcft of water from Mahadayi, is being undertaken by Karnataka to improve drinking water supply in Dharwad, Haveri, Gadag, Belagavi, and Bagalkot districts. It involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, the tributaries of the river to divert 7.56tmcft water to the Malaprabha.