BENGALURU: The Karnataka government will insist on issuing a gazette notification for the Krishna Tribunal-2 verdict at a meeting of water resources ministers of the Krishna Valley states, called by Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil in New Delhi on May 7.
CM Siddaramaiah, who held a high-level meeting at his residence Cauvery here on Saturday, also decided to convene an all-party meeting soon to discuss steps to be taken to implement the final judgment of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal. Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar, North Karnataka ministers, legal experts and top officials were present.
The meeting also decided to heighten the Almatti Dam as there is no interim order by the Supreme Court yet. Siddaramaiah later told reporters at Yelahanka, “After the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-2 gave its verdict on December 30, 2010, a notification was issued in 2013. Since then, the Centre has not issued any notification.”
Siddaramaiah claimed that after he and Shivakumar met CR Patil and insisted on issuing the gazette notification, the Jal Shakti minister called the meeting of the riparian states.
“The second tribunal’s order directed Karnataka to use 173 tmcft of water. It is possible if the Almatti dam height is increased from 519 metre to 524. A gazette notification should be issued for that. We will insist on this at the meeting,” he said.
“Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have filed petitions. Let them use whatever the quantum of water allocated to them. As the Supreme Court has not issued any interim order, we will take up the work to increase the dam height to 524 metre,” he said.
Besides the gazette notification, the high-level meeting decided to file an application in the court, seeking modification of the Supreme Court order dated September 16, 2011. Siddaramaiah said farmers in the Upper Krishna Project - 3 area have been waiting for years for their share of water.
“The Supreme Court directed the publication of the judgment of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, though civil appeals are pending. Similarly, it directed the publication of the final judgment of the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal on February 20,2020. Both judgments have been notified in the gazette. Similarly, we decided to urge the Centre to issue a Gazette notification for the Krishna Tribunal judgment,” he said.
“The Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-2 gave the judgment on December 30, 2010 and gave a further report on November 29, 2013. Of the 173 tmcft of water allocated, 130 tmcft is for UKP-3. But Andhra Pradesh has filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the Tribunal report and the final order. The Supreme Court ruled on September 16, 2011 that no notification of any decisions taken by the Tribunal should be published till its further orders,” he explained.