Karnataka welcomes Krishna river water sharing award

BANGALORE - Karnataka Thursday welcomed the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal verdict on sharing of surplus water with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

“It is a historic day for Karnataka,” Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said noting the tribunal had awarded Karnataka 911 tmc of water and allowed it raise the height of a dam to store the river water to 524.4 metres from the present 519 metres.

Andhra Pradesh was objecting to raising the height of the dam at Almatti in Bijapur district in north Karnataka.

The river Krishna takes birth at Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra and on its 1,300 km journey to the Bay of Bengal it passes through Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Hailing the verdict, Yeddyurappa said his government “will do its best to utilise the water”.

The three states share the water under a complex formula comprising A and B schemes. The share is on the basis of the dependability of water availability in the river, which is determined by the rains.

Karnataka had sought 278 tmc of water under B scheme, but the tribunal has given it 177 tmc. With this Karnataka gets a total share of 911 TMC of water a year under the two schemes.

The tribunal has also directed that Karnataka has to release 8-10 tmc to Andhra Pradesh during June-July every year.

The tribunal has given Andhra Pradesh a total share of 1,001 tmc and Maharashtra 666 tmc.

Till Thursday’s award Andhra’s share was 811 tmc, Karnataka 734 tms and Maharashtra 585 tmc.

The tribunal, headed by Justice Brijesh Kumar, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, also said the central government would set up the Krishna Water Implementation Board after three months for implementation of the award.

Thursday’s award would be valid till May 31, 2050. The tribunal was set up in April 2004.