Krishna water row: SC gives one last chance to States

The Supreme Court on Friday asked States like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka to file their submissions on the Krishna water dispute within three weeks, saying the matter should be put to rest at the earliest. .

“We are apprised at the bar that pleadings have not been completed. Let it be completed within three weeks from today. None of parties shall be given extension of time,” a Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Prafulla C Pant said.

The court said it would proceed with the matter even if any of the States failed to file written submission within the stipulated time.

Andhra Pradesh had moved the court against the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal award on allocation of water involving states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Later, Telangana was impleaded as a party.

Earlier, the court had issued notices on a batch of petitions filed on the issue. Andhra Pradesh has challenged two awards of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal passed in 2011 and 2013.

In one of the awards, the tribunal had permitted Karnataka to raise the height of the Almatti dam from 519.6 metres to 524.25 metres, which the AP government said would be detrimental to the rights of its people.