Krishna, Mahadayi river disputes hearing at various stages, says Water Resource Ministry official

Bengaluru, Sep 4 (PTI) The Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal and the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal are at various levels of hearing, according to National Water Mission Director N Ashok Babu.

He was delivering the keynote address at the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) India CSR and Sustainability Awards here.

According to the FKCCI press release, the director said that the Tungabhadra Board at Hospet is working to regulate supply of water, power and maintenance of Tungabhadra Dam.

The Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal, Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal and Kaveri Water Disputes Tribunal wherein Karnataka is involved, the awards have been finalised, the statement said.

The Krishna river water dispute involves three states – Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, while the Mahadayi river water dispute involves Karnataka and Goa, the officer said.

Talking about water conservation, he said that through the ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan – Catch the Rain’ campaign, India has achieved 11.36 billion cubic metres increase in water tables, greater than the storage of the Bhakra Nangal Dam, the statement said.

The director said that over two crore water conservation works and 142 crore afforestation activities have been completed, alongside 639 District Water Conservation Plans.

"The Jal Shakti Kendras were operational in 712 districts providing accessible water-related information to citizens. Karnataka’s Yadgir district has been a pilot model," Babu was quoted as saying.

The officer said the first-ever Census of 2.42 crore water bodies has been completed, and over 25 lakh sq km of aquifers mapped under the National Aquifer Management Programme.

With regard to dam safety and rehabilitation, he mentioned that 220 dams had been rehabilitated with work ongoing in 736 more, including critical infrastructure in Karnataka such as the Tungabhadra Dam.

He reaffirmed the Union Water Resource Ministry’s commitment to flagship projects like Namami Gange, the Ken–Betwa river link, and dispute resolution mechanisms, including the Kaveri and Mahadayi tribunals, all aimed at equitable water-sharing and sustainable resource management.

"As of now, as per the Central Ground Water Resources Assessment Report 2024, there are 102 over exploited districts and 22 critical districts, whereas 69 districts are semi critical, rest 512 districts are considered safe as far as ground water levels are concerned," the statement said quoting Babu.

The National Water Mission, he said, works to achieve five goals, including a comprehensive water data base, assessment of impact of climate change on water resources, promotion of sustenance and state and state for water conservation, augmentation, preservation, promotion of basin level integrated water resource management and to increase water use efficiency by 20 per cent.

Speaking on the occasion, FKCCI president M G Balakrishna lauded the Ministry’s initiatives and reiterated FKCCI’s role in supporting Karnataka’s industrial, trade, and community development. PTI GMS GMS KH