The Union Cabinet, presided over by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the issuance of further Terms of Reference (ToR) to the existing Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) under the ISRWD Act, 1956, to address disputes between the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh (AP). This decision is based on legal opinions and the issues raised by the Government of Telangana (GoT) in their complaint under section 3 of the ISRWD Act, 1956.
The resolution of this long-standing water dispute will pave the way for growth in both Telangana and AP, benefiting the people of both states and contributing to the nation’s overall development.
The KWDT-II was established on 2nd April 2004, following requests from concerned states under Section 3 of the ISRWD Act, 1956. Telangana, as a newly formed state within the Union of India, came into existence on 2nd June 2014. In accordance with section 89 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, the KWDT-II’s tenure was extended to address specific clauses of the act.
Subsequently, the Government of Telangana (GoT) lodged a complaint on 14th July 2014 with the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, regarding the use, distribution, or control of Krishna river waters. A Writ Petition was also filed by GoT in the Supreme Court in 2015. In 2018, GoT requested the existing KWDT-II to consider the dispute between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh exclusively. This matter was discussed in the 2nd Apex Council meeting in 2020. Following discussions in the Apex Council meeting, GoT withdrew the Writ Petition in 2021, and subsequently, sought legal opinion from the Ministry of Law & Justice (MoL&J) on the matter.
This decision aims to provide a lasting resolution to the Krishna river water dispute between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and foster sustainable development in the region.