CHENNAI: After 28 years of existence, the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal was dissolved on Monday.
The Centre has issued formal orders to dissolve the tribunal following the end of its term since all disputes over sharing of Cauvery among the riparian States have reached a finality with Supreme Court orders dated February 16 and May 18. “The Central government is satisfied that no further reference to the Tribunal in the matter would be necessary. Now, therefore, in the exercise of the powers conferred by Section 12 of the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, the Centre hereby dissolves the said tribunal,” said the order issued by Sanjay Kundu, joint secretary, Union Water Resources Department.
The tribunal was constituted on June 2, 1990, during the DMK regime under Section 4 of the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956. The tribunal submitted its report on February 5, 2007. The States and Centre made further references to the tribunal on April 27, April 30 and May 3, 2007, and the tribunal had to submit a further report on May 3, 2007. After efforts made by the late Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa, through legal means, the final report was notified in Union Gazette on February 18, 2013.
The Centre, on requests from the tribunal, had extended the period of submission of the further report by the tribunal till May 2, 2018, vide notifications issued from time to time. The SC, in its orders dated February 16 and May 18, 2018, delivered its final judgment in the civil appeals filed by TN, Karnataka and Kerala against the award of the tribunal on the allocation of water to them, and the award of the tribunal has been merged with the judgment dated February 16 of the SC.