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New Delhi : Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has extended the term of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) by six months upto May 2, 2018.
Cauvery is an inter‐State basin having its origin in Karnataka and flowing through Tamil Nadu and Puduchery before falling in Bay of Bengal. The sharing of waters of the Cauvery has been the source of a serious conflict between the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The genesis of this conflict rests in two agreements in 1892 and 1924 between the erstwhile Madras Presidency and Kingdom of Mysore.
In this regard, Government of India on June 2, 1990, constituted the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) to adjudicate the water dispute regarding inter‐state river Cauvery and the river valley thereof among the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry. The Tribunal was asked to submit its report by August 5, 2005.The term of the tribunal was extended for one year up to August 6, 2006, and again for six months up to Februay 5, 2007, according to a PIB release.
CWDT gave its report and decision u/s 5(2) of the ISRWD Act, 1956, on February 5, 2007. The party States and Central Government filed application for clarification/further guidance u/s 5 (3) of the said Act on April 27, 2007, April 30, 2007 and May 03, 2007 and the Tribunal had to submit a further report within one year from May 3,2007. The Central Government, on the requests made by the tribunal from time to time, extended the period of the submission of the said further report up to November 02, 2017. Now the tribunal has again sought an extension and hence the Government has extended the period upto May 2, 2018, according to the PIB release.
Meanwhile, the Party States also filed Special Leave Petition (SLPs) against the above mentioned report and decision of the Tribunal before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court on May 5, 2007, granted Special Leave in the matter.
A Protem Supervisory Committee was constituted for implementation of the final order dated February 5, 2007, as notified vide Notification dated February 19, 2013. The Supervisory Committee consists of the Secretary, Union Ministry of Water Resources as Chairman and the Chief Secretaries of the respective States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Union Territory of Puducherry as Members. So far eight meetings of this Committee have been held on June 1, 2013, June 12, 2013, July 15, 2013, November 8,2013, September 28, 2015, September 12, 2016, September 19, 2016 and February 17, 2017 in New Delhi, according to the release.
Decision of CWDT has been challenged by party States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala before The Supreme Court (SC) by filling Civil Appeals. The SC, in its order dated December 9, 2016, directed that these Civil Appeals are maintainable and the matter is sub- judice in the court.