River Vansadhara dispute: SC seeks response from Andhra Pradesh govt on Odisha’s pleas

The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Andhra Pradesh government on a batch of pleas filed by Odisha against the interim orders of the Vansadhara Water Dispute Tribunal.A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and BV Nagarathna issued notice to the Andhra Pradesh government and listed the matter for hearing in November for final disposal saying that these kinds of matters should be adjudicated fast.

The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the Andhra Pradesh government on a batch of pleas filed by Odisha against the interim orders of the Vansadhara Water Dispute Tribunal.

A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and BV Nagarathna issued notice to the Andhra Pradesh government and listed the matter for hearing in November for final disposal saying that these kinds of matters should be adjudicated fast. It asked senior advocate Gopal Subramanian, appearing for Odisha, and senior counsel CS Vaidyanathan, representing Andhra Pradesh to file a joint convenience note giving the details of the inter-state dispute and other relevant documents. At the outset, Subramanian said that the three orders of the inter-state water dispute tribunal had been challenged by the Odisha government but one of the appeals was not listed for hearing. The bench then ordered that the registry may take instruction from the Chief Justice and list the pending appeal along with other appeals which are before the court. It listed the matter for hearing after Diwali vacation and granted four weeks to Andhra Pradesh for filing a reply to the Odisha’s petitions.

The Odisha government has challenged the orders of the tribunal directing a joint survey by both the States of the Neradi barrage. In June, the Tribunal had allowed the Andhra Pradesh government to construct the Neradi barrage across the river with ancillary structures and said that when there is a shortage of water in a particular year, the sharing of water should be proportionately reduced, and when there is an increase in water, it is to be increased proportionately. On a plea of Odisha, the top court had on February 6, 2009, directed the Centre to constitute a water dispute tribunal. The Centre on June 25, 2009, constituted the Vansadhara Water Dispute Tribunal.

The Odisha government in February 2006 had sent a complaint to the Centre under provisions of the Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956 regarding water disputes with Andhra Pradesh about inter-state rivers Vansadhara for constitution of an Inter-State Water Disputes Tribunal for adjudication.

The main grievance of Odisha in the complaint sent to the Centre was the adverse effect of the executive action of the Andhra Pradesh government in undertaking the construction of a canal taking off from the river Vansadhara called as flood flow canal at Katragada. It has also raised a grievance about the failure of the Andhra Pradesh government to implement the terms of inter-State agreement understanding relating to the use, distribution, and control of waters of river Vansadhara and its valley.

Odisha has said that the flood flow canal would result in drying up the existing river bed and consequent shifting of the river affecting the groundwater table.

It has also raised the issue of scientific assessment of available water in Vansadhara at Katragada and Gotta Barrage and the basis for sharing the available water.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)