“…whenever a state will request, the Centre will set up a DRC. We expect, most disputes will get resolved at the DRC’s level itself. But if a state is not satisfied, it can approach the Tribunal,” he added.
In order to give more teeth to the Tribunal, it is proposed that whenever it gives order, the verdict gets notified automatically. Until now, the government required to notify the awards, causing delay in its implementation.
As per the current provisions of the 1956 Act, a tribunal can be formed after a state government approaches Union Government with such request and the Centre is convinced of the need to form the tribunal.
At present, there are eight Tribunals including those on Cauvery, Mahadayi, Ravi and Beas, Vansadhara and Krishna rivers.
The present year saw party states like Tamil Nadu and Karntaka (Cuavery basin), Goa-Karnataka-Maharashtra (Mahadayi) and also Odisha and Chhattisgarh (Mahanadi) sparring over sharing river water.
From Agencies, Feature image courtesy thehansindia
