Krishna Verdict: Govt Files SLP In SC

The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday moved the Supreme Court, challenging the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal verdict about allocating an additional quantum of water to Karnataka and Maharashtra.

The state government on Monday filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP), in which it pointed out that the Tribunal had acted in an arbitrary and illegal manner.

Arguing that the Tribunal lacked the jurisdiction for the cited allocation to the other states, the state government has appealed to the Supreme Court to quash the Tribunal's decision.

The SLP also argued that Andhra Pradesh would lose out on around 130 TMC ft. of surplus water because of the Tribunal's decision. The state was awarded an additional 190 TMC ft. water in its verdict dated December 30th, 2010.

The state government also objected to the Tribunal agreeing to Karnataka's decision of raising the height of the Almatti dam from the present 519 metres to 524.5 metres, fearing that it would affect the Kharif crops across 13.5 lakh acres in the fertile Krishna Delta, which is the 'rice-bowl' of Andhra Pradesh.

The SLP also pointed out that the Tribunal has failed to adopt the proper and correct application of the principle of equitable allocation of the inter-state river water between the upper and the lower riparian states.

The government further argued that the Tribunal's jurisdiction was limited to adjudicating only the matters that were covered by the complaints of the 3 riparian states, but the body had acted without jurisdiction by going beyond the matters raised in the complaints.

Courtesy: INN