Hyderabad: The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti has called an urgent meeting on June 18 to discuss the implementation of the 2013 award by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II).
The Ministry has sent notifications to all basin states – Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra—inviting them to participate. The Krishna Tribunal, led by Justice Brijesh Kumar, was set up back in 2004 to sort out disputes over Krishna river water sharing. It delivered its final verdict in 2013, but the award has been stuck in limbo ever since.
The then-united Andhra Pradesh government had challenged several parts of the award in the Supreme Court, and the court put the award on hold while it reviewed the case. That case has been pending ever since, effectively freezing any progress.
Karnataka hasn’t minced words about the delay, saying it’s costing its farmers and the state economy dearly. Officials there have been pressing the Centre and the Supreme Court to put at least parts of the award into action—anything to ease the strain on their people.
With mounting pressure from Karnataka, the Ministry of Jal Shakti has now decided to convene this urgent meeting to explore a way forward. Officials hope that the meeting will help break the deadlock and pave the way for implementing the Krishna Tribunal’s recommendations, even if partially.
