The
Government has notified the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal
dated 5th February 2007 in the Gazette of India on 19th
February 2013.
As per
section 6 (2) of Inter State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 “The decision of
the Tribunal, after its publication in the Official Gazette by the Central
Government under sub-section (1), shall have the same force as an order or
decree of the Supreme Court”. Therefore,
the party states are expected to abide by the Order of the Tribunal.
The details of the share of water for each State under the
final order dated 5th February 2013 are as follows.
(i)
the State of Kerala 30 TMC
(a)
Kabini sub-basin 21 TMC
(b)
Bhavani sub-basin 6 TMC
(c)
Pambar sub-basin 3
TMC
(ii)
the State of Karnataka 270 TMC
(iii)
the State of Tamil Nadu 419 TMC
(iv)
the Union Territory of Pondicherry 7 TMC
726 TMC
In addition to the above, quantity of water
reserved for (i) environmental protection and (ii) inevitable escapages into
the sea are as follows.
(i)
for environmental protection 10 TMC
(ii)
for inevitable escapages into the sea 4 TMC
14 TMC
Total (726 + 14) =
740 TMC
Chapter 8,
Volume V of Final Award, “Machinery for implementation of the Final
Decision/Orders of the Tribunal” mentions that “an Inter-State forum to be
called “Cauvery Management Board” shall be established for the purpose of
securing compliance and implementation of the final decision of the Cauvery
Water Disputes Tribunal”. Further, Clause-IX of the Notification mentions that
“The Authority shall properly monitor the working of monthly schedule with the
help of the concerned States and Central Water Commission for a period of five
years and if any modification/adjustment is needed in the schedule thereafter,
it may be worked out in consultation with the party States and help of Central
Water Commission for future adoption without changing the annual allocation
amongst the parties”.
Accordingly,
further appropriate actions are being taken in consultation with the
concerned Ministries to set up Cauvery
Management Board.
A VIP reference from Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu regarding
constitution of Cauvery Management Board received in the Ministry has been
appropriately replied. Similar request from Secretary, PWD Tamil Nadu has also
been received in the Ministry.
As per Entry 17 of the State List of the Constitution of
India, States have competence over water
supplies, irrigation and canals, drainage and embankments, water storage and
water power subject to the provisions of entry 56 of Union List of the
Constitution. Entry 56 of Union List relates to regulation and development of
Inter-state rivers and river valleys to the extent to which such regulation and
development under the control of the Union is declared by Parliament by law to
be expedient in the public interest. There is presently no proposal to make any
change in the existing entries relating to water in the Constitution.
This information was given by Union Water Resources Minister Shri Harish
Rawat in the Lok Sabha today in reply to
a written question.
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