New Delhi: The Vansadhara Water Dispute Tribunal (VWDT) constituted to adjudicate Vansadhara river dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh (AP) has incurred a whopping `3.16 crore expenditure till December 2019 but the matter remains unresolved.
The Union government had constituted the tribunal following the direction of the Supreme Court to resolve the Vansadhara river water dispute between the riparian states.
The cumulative expenditure incurred by the tribunal till December 2019 stands at `3.16 crore and the budget allocation for the year 2019-20 is `5.11 crore.
Odisha had challenged AP’s actions of constructing barrages on the river citing submergence of several acres of land in Odisha.
The tribunal had delivered its order December 17, 2013 allowing AP government to construct a side weir along with the ancillary works as proposed and has, inter alia, directed for constitution of a three-member Supervisory Flow Management and Regulation Committee of river Vansadhara.
Odisha has filed a special leave petition (SLP) against the said order before the Supreme Court and the same is pending for hearing. The tribunal has submitted its report (3 volumes) with the decision on the issues referred to it.
Further, Justice Ghulam Mohammad, member of VWDT passed away November 23, 2017 in Hyderabad.
In order to fill the post, the Centre appointed Justice Pratibha Rani, Judge of Delhi High Court as member of the tribunal in 2018.
The VWDT heard the submission of the parties January 22, March 5-6, April 3-4-5 in 2019. In the meantime, Odisha had filed an application July 8, 2019 seeking modification of order dated April 5 of same year. The tribunal took up the matter for hearing July 9 and directed the parties to complete the pleading.
Significantly, September 23, 2019, the tribunal dismissed the application filed by Odisha and directed for listing the matter January 10, 2020. Odisha has also filed two petitions in the SC challenging the order of the tribunal and also opposed the joint survey for Neradi barrage as directed by the tribunal. The apex court is yet to pass any order in the petitions.