T.N. will protect its rights in inter-State water disputes

Sub: Polity

Sec: Federalism

Context:

DMK general secretary and Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan on Monday maintained that the State government would protect the rights of Tamil Nadu in the inter-State water disputes.

More on news:

The State government would protect the rights of Tamil Nadu in the inter-State water disputes with Karnataka and Kerala if the neighboring States attempted to violate the verdict of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

Major issue:

The issue is that Kerala is building a check dam across the Silanthi river.
Building a check-dam across Silandhi river will block the flow of water to the Amaravathi dam, and farmers in Tamil Nadu will be adversely affected.
If the check dam is constructed, Amaravathi cannot receive water from the Silanthi river.

About Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT):

The Government of India constituted the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on June 2, 1990, to adjudicate the water dispute between the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry with respect to the inter-state Cauvery water and river basin.

Constitutional Provisions:

Entry 17 of the State List deals with water i.e., water supply, irrigation, canal, drainage, embankments, water storage and hydropower.
Entry 56 of the Union List empowers the Union Government for the regulation and development of inter-state rivers and river valleys to the extent declared by Parliament to be expedient in the public interest.
According to Article 262, in case of disputes relating to waters:
- Parliament may by law provide for the adjudication of any dispute or complaint with respect to the use, distribution or control of the waters of, or in, any inter-State River or river valley.
- Parliament may, by law, provide that neither the Supreme Court nor any other court shall exercise jurisdiction in respect of any such dispute or complaint as mentioned above.

Other rivers in news:

Amaravathi river:

The river receives water from Pambar, Silanthi and Chinnar rivers.
The Amaravati River is the longest tributary of the Kaveri River in the fertile districts of Udumalpet, Dharapuram and Karur Tamil Nadu state, South India.
It runs north, past the Amaravathi Reservoir and Amaravathi Dam in Amaravathinagar.
Some main tributaries of the Amaravati river are Kudavanur, Nangaji, Shanmuga Nadi, Kudumiar, Upper, and Thenar.