The Hindu : Brijesh Kumar to chair second Krishna Tribunal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 20, 2004

National

National

Brijesh Kumar to chair second Krishna Tribunal

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI, MARCH 19. A sitting judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Brijesh Kumar, has been nominated by the Chief Justice, V.N. Khare, to chair the second Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal to adjudicate the dispute between Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra on the sharing of Krishna river. Justice Kumar would retire from the apex court on June 10.

The Chief Justice has also recommended the names S.P. Srivastava, a judge of the Allahabad High Court and D.K. Seth, a judge of the Kolkata High Court to be members on the proposed tribunal.

There was a provision in the first Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal for the setting up of a second tribunal after 25 years, which ended in 2002-03. The second tribunal is required to submit its recommendations within three years.

The Centre received requests from the three party States last year for the constitution of a tribunal under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.

Karnataka has raised the issue of use of surplus water in the Krishna basin by the riparian States, while Maharashtra has objected to the utilisation of water in Krishna by Andhra Pradesh in excess of its share allotted by the first tribunal and to the planning and construction of Almatti project, the Hippargi Barrage Project, the Bheema Barrage on river Bheema and thus creating a problem of submergence in the State without its consent.

Maharashtra has also sought review and reassessment of the availability of Krishna waters and redistribution of equitable share of the three basin States.

Andhra Pradesh has alleged that the construction of Almatti dam, Narayanpur dam and Tunghabhadra dam by Karnataka were in violation of the tribunal award and in violation of the Environmental protection Act, 1986. It has also objected to construction of an ``over-sized'' carry-over reservoir by Maharashtra in the Bheema sub-basin of Krishna river.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National