Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal issues notice to Odisha, Chhattisgarh among five States

Odisha Uncategorized
Bhubaneswar, May 30, 2018: The Mahanadi Water Disputes
Tribunal has issued notices to five States – Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra – to nominate representative for adjudication of
Mahanadi water sharing dispute by August 6.
The notices were issued under Rule 4 of the Inter-State
River Water Disputes Rules, 1959 to the Governments of five States to nominate
their representatives by August 6. If no nominations were received by the due
date, the case may be decided in the absence of any representation of State
Government.
The tribunal is operating from Delhi.
On February 20, the Union Cabinet approved proposal for
constitution of a tribunal to resolve the Mahanadi river water dispute between
Odisha and Chhattisgarh after the Supreme Court directed the Centre to form the
tribunal within a month, for which the deadline was February 22, 2018.
The tribunal will determine water sharing among basin States
on the basis of the overall availability of water in the complete Mahanadi
basin, contribution of each State, the present utilisation of water resources
in each State and the potential for future development.
On March 12, the Central Government notified the formation
of Mahanadi Water Dispute Tribunal as per the Supreme Court order.
The tribunal was formed under Inter-State River Water
Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956. The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development
and Ganga Rejuvenation today issued a notification to this effect.
The tribunal is being headed by Supreme Court judge Justice
AM Khanwilkar as the Chairperson and Dr Justice Ravi Ranjan of Patna High Court
and Justice Indermeet Kaur Kochhar of Delhi High Court as members.
The trio has been nominated by Chief Justice of India (CJI)
Dipak Misra.
As per provisions of the ISRWD Act, 1956 the Tribunal is
required to submit its report and decision within a period of three years which
can be extended to a further period not exceeding two years due to unavoidable
reasons.
The BJD-led Odisha Government is opposing the barrages being
constructed by BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh Government upstream Mahanadi.

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