Govt constitutes Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal

The Union Water Resources Ministry on Monday issued a notification, constituting three-member 'Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal' to adjudicate the dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh over sharing the river's water.

Supreme Court judge A M Khanwilkar has been named as the chairman of the tribunal, being formed as per the January 23 order of the apex court to the Centre in this connection.

Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice Indermeet Kaur Kochhar, judges of Patna and Delhi High Courts respectively, are the other two members of the tribunal.

"The Tribunal will have its headquarters at Delhi," the ministry said in a statement.

The Odisha government had moved the court in December, 2016, seeking an order asking Chhattisgarh to stop construction work in projects on the upstream of Mahanadi, saying it had affected the river flow in the state. It had also pitched for setting up of the tribunal.

The tribunal would 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 resource in each state and the potential for future development, official sources said.

As per provisions of the Inter State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956, the tribunal is required to submit its report and decision within a period of three years, which can be extended for a period not exceeding two years due to unavoidable reasons.