Question

what are inter-state water disputes?​

Answer 1

Inter-State River Water Sharing Disputes

The Parliament has enacted Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956 for adjudication of disputes relating to waters of inter-State rivers and river valley thereof. When any request under the said Act is received from any State Government in respect of any water dispute on the inter-State rivers and the Central Government is of the opinion that the water dispute cannot be settled by negotiations, the Central Government constitutes a Water Disputes Tribunal for the adjudication of the water dispute. Currently, 5 water disputes Tribunals are active, details of which are given in Annexure.

In order to further streamline the adjudication of inter-State river water disputes, the Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister for WR, RD & GR on 14.03.2017 by amending the existing ISRWD Act, 1956. The Bill envisages to constitute a standalone Tribunal with permanent establishment and permanent office space and infrastructure so as to obviate with the need to set up a separate Tribunal for each water dispute which is invariably a time consuming process. In the proposed Bill, there is a provision for establishment of a Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) by the Central Government for resolving amicably, the inter- State water disputes within a maximum period of one year and six months. Any dispute, which cannot be settled by negotiations shall be referred to the Tribunal for its adjudication.

Answer 2

Inters state water disputes arise due to unequal distribution of water to upstream and downstream states from the rivers...... These are raised mostly from the down stream states.... For example : Krishna-Godavari dispute....