The Andhra Pradesh government has challenged in the Supreme Court the award of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal II permitting Karnataka to raise the height of the Almatti dam from 519.6 metres to 524.25 metres.
In its special leave petition against the November 29, 2013 award, the A.P. government said:
“The KWDT has erred in permitting the State of Karnataka to raise the height of the Almatti dam which is detrimental to the rights and interests of people of Andhra Pradesh.”
It said: “The award will adversely affect the timely flow of water to the State, affecting the agriculture operations in the Krishna basin and the entire ayacut of more than 35 lakh acres.”
Valid till 2050As per the final award passed on November 29, Andhra Pradesh is entitled to 1,005 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water, Karnataka 907 tmcft and Maharashtra666 tmcft.
This award will be binding till 2050. The tribunal has asked the Centre to appoint a Krishna Water Decision Implementation Board, giving representation to Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh as well as the Centre.
The SLP said:
“The KWDT-II ought not to have permitted Karnataka to raise the dam height and to utilise 303 tmc ft at different dependabilities merely based on the project report and in the absence of any hydrological study.”
“Unjust decision”“The decision of KWDT-II under Section 5(3) of the Inter State Water Disputes Act is unjust. and has failed to bear in mind the well settled and acknowledged principles of distribution and allocation of water based on equitable share of all the States, including A.P.”
The SLP, while seeking to quash the award, said that since the court on September 16, 2011 directed that till further orders, the tribunal’s decision should not be published in the official gazette, it was not claiming any interim relief for the present.
