Joshi welcomes SC's order allowing implementation of Mahadayi Water Dispute tribunal

Bengaluru: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court’s order allowing Karnataka’s plea for implementation of the Mahadayi Water Dispute tribunal’s final award, and said the long-standing demand of the people and farmers of the state has been fulfilled.

The Supreme Court in its interim order on Thursday allowed the Karnataka government’s plea for implementation of the final award by a tribunal for sharing of water from the Mahadayi river between Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

The interim order was passed by a bench comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hemant Gupta after hearing the counsel from the three states. The bench said the final hearing in the matter will take place in July.

It also said the interim order is subject to the final outcome of the petitions filed by the three states against the tribunal’s award.

Joshi, in a statement, said he welcomes the award given by Mahadayi River Water Tribunal and has requested the Union Jal Shakti Minister for initiating the necessary steps.

“I thank everyone on this occasion as the long-standing demand of the people and farmers of Karnataka has been recognised and fulfilled,” Joshi, who is MP from Hubli in the state, said.

The Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal had passed the order on August 14, 2018, allocating 13.42 TMC water (including 3.9 TMC for diversion into the depleted Malaprabha river basin) from the Mahadayi river basin to Karnataka.

Maharashtra was allotted 1.33 TMC water while Goa was given 24 TMC in the final decision of the tribunal. The UPA-2 government had constituted Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal in 2010.

Karnataka government, which has locked horns with the neighbouring Goa on the larger issue of sharing Mahadayi River water between both the states, had petitioned the tribunal seeking the release of 7.56 tmcft of water for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.