SC directs Centre to set up tribunal for sharing of Pennaiyar river waters

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to constitute a tribunal for adjudicating the dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over sharing the waters of the Pennaiyar river and issue an appropriate notification within a month.  The direction came from a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and NV Anjaria.

“We, therefore, find no reason to refrain from directing the Central Government to issue an appropriate notification in the official gazette and to constitute a water disputes tribunal for the adjudication of the inter-se water dispute between the parties herein within a period of one month from today,” Justice Nath said while pronouncing the order.

The Tamil Nadu Government moved the Supreme Court in 2018 through its original suit filed against Karnataka over work being done on check dams and diversions on the river. It said water in an interstate river was considered a national asset and no state can claim exclusive right over it.