The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Union government to constitute a tribunal within one month to resolve the long-standing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over Pennaiyar river waters, in accordance with the statutory framework under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.
The order was passed by a Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Nath after it was informed that multiple rounds of inter-governmental negotiations facilitated by the Union of India had failed to yield a consensual resolution between the contesting states.
The Court held that in the absence of an agreed settlement, there was no legal bar to the Union of India issuing a notification in the Official Gazette for the establishment of a dedicated water disputes tribunal.
Accordingly, the Bench directed that the original suit filed by the Tamil Nadu government under Article 131 of the Constitution in 2018 be returned for presentation before the tribunal.
Relying on the principles of equitable apportionment and reasonable utilisation recognised under the 1956 Act, the petition alleged that the construction of check dams and diversion structures by Karnataka across the Pennaiyar river had materially impaired Tamil Nadu’s equitable share of river waters.
Earlier, the Court had directed the Ministry of Jal Shakti, through its Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, to constitute a fresh Negotiation Committee to pursue an amicable settlement, and submit a report on the outcome within a stipulated timeframe. The judgment had been reserved on December 12, 2025.
Subsequently, the Centre filed an affidavit stating that while a proposal for constituting the Pennaiyar Water Disputes Tribunal had been forwarded to the Cabinet Secretariat, the Union Cabinet was yet to take a final decision on the matter.
Taking note of the delay and the failure of negotiations, the Court invoked its constitutional authority to ensure compliance with the legislative intent underlying the 1956 Act.
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