New Delhi [India]: The Centre on Monday constituted ‘the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal’ for resolving the longstanding dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh over sharing of Mahanadi water.
The tribunal was formed under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 following the Supreme Court directive on January 23, 2018, revealed a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
Supreme Court judge A M Khanwilkar has been named as the chairman of the tribunal, being formed as per the January 23 order of the apex court to the Centre in this connection.
Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice Indermeet Kaur Kochhar, judges of Patna and Delhi High Court respectively, are the other two members of the tribunal.
The tribunal would determine water sharing among basin states on the basis of the overall availability of water in the complete Mahanadi basin, the contribution of each state, the present utilisation of water resource in each state and the potential for future development, official sources said.
As per provisions of the Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956, the tribunal is required to submit its report and decision within a period of three years, which can be extended for a period not exceeding two years due to unavoidable reasons. (ANI)