Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal - KWDT II Award

KWDT II Award

The second Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal gave its verdict on December 31, 2010. The allocation of available water was done according to 65% dependability, considering the records of flow of water for past 47 years.According to KWDT II, Andhra Pradesh got 1001 tmc of water, Karnataka 911 tmc and Maharashtra 666 tmc. Next review of water allocations will be after the year 2050.

KWDT-2 has allocated entire average water (2578 Tmcft) yield in the river among states except 16 TMC which is to be let downstream of Prakasam Barrage near Vijayawada to the Sea as minimum environmental flows. There is no water allocation for the purpose of salt export to the sea. When rain water comes in contact with the soil, it picks up some salts in dissolved form from the soil. The total amount of dissolved salts contained in the river water has to reach sea without accumulating in the river basin. This process is called "salt export". If all the water is utilized without letting adequate water to the Sea, the water salinity / total dissolved salts (TDS) would be so high making it unfit for human, cattle and agriculture use. Higher Sodium in comparison with Calcium and Magnesium elements in irrigation water would convert the agriculture lands in to fallow Sodic alkaline soil. The low lands of Andhra Pradesh would be effected by salinity and alkalinity if adequate salt export is not taking place. Water is not safe for drinking if the TDS exceeds 500 mg/l. The average yearly salt export requirement is nearly 12 million tons in Krishna basin area up to Prakasam Barrage. At least 850 TMC water is required for salt export purpose to maintain water TDS below 500 mg/l. This is including 360 TMC of Krishna river water being used outside the Krishna basin in AP. This water used outside the basin area is also serving the salt export purpose since salts are transferred outside the basin. Thus another 490 TMC is to be let to the sea for salt export purpose. If salt export and environmental needs are considered, no further water to allocate by KWDT-2 in excess of water use allocations made by KWDT-1 earlier.

Unrestricted ground water usage is permitted by KWDT–1. Ground water exploitation has increased many folds in last 35 years. KWDT-2 has not deliberated how the ever increasing ground water use is diminishing the inflows in the river and the river water quality. The water allocation by KWDT-1 itself is 83% of 2578 TMC total water availability. During the decade/years 1998-2007, 510 TMC on an average per year was discharged in to sea after utilizing 1892 TMC out of 2402 TMC annual average yield (page 303 of KWDT-2) in the river which is only 21% of total yield. The water TDS is around 450 mg/l during peak monsoon months which is highest among the major Indian rivers. The actual average water availability in the decade (years 1998 to 2007) is less by 176 TMC to the 2578 TMC estimated average water availability by KWDT-2. If full water utilization as permitted by KWDT-1 to the extent of 2130 TMC is achieved in future, the usage would be 88.67% of 2402 TMC water availability which would increase the water salinity to unacceptable level. Thus there is no additional water available in the river for further allocation to the riparian states by KWDT-2 in excess of 2130 TMC on average permitted by KWDT-1. In fact, the KWDT-1 water use allocations are already in excess of the sustainable water use from the river when moderate environmental flow requirements are to be taken care.

Unplanned water utilization in Murray - Darling River basin in Australia has enhanced the salinity /TDS of river water beyond safe limits which is affecting the long term sustainable productivity of the river basin. So Murray - Darling Basin Authority is established to take up remedial action plan for recovering the damage occurred to the sustainable productivity of the river basin. Water quality and salinity management is made part of this plan. It has stipulated that water TDS limit of 500 mg/l should not exceed 95% of the duration in a year. It has altered existing water use/entitlement of irrigation to enhance the water required for salt export.

Another example of river water sharing taking in to account the water salinity is Colorado River flowing in USA and Mexico. The 1944 “United States-Mexico Treaty for Utilization of waters of the Colorado” allots to Mexico a guaranteed annual quantity of water from the river. The treaty does not provide specifically for water quality, but this did not constitute a problem until the late 1950s. Rapid economic development and increased agricultural water use in the United States spurred degradation of water quality received by Mexico. With a view to resolving the problem, Mexico protested and entered into bilateral negotiations with the United States. In 1974, these negotiations resulted in an international agreement, interpreting the 1944 Treaty, which guaranteed Mexico water of the same quality as that being used in the United States.

Already the water utilization in Krishna river basin is touching the maximum limit constraining the salt export to the Sea. Detailed study shall be conducted by experts to decide the minimum water needed for the salt export to the sea. India should learn from the bad experience of Australia in over exploiting the waters of Murray-darling River. Krishna Basin Authority in line with Murray-Darling Basin Authority shall be constituted by the Indian Government rejecting archaic river water allocations by the KWDT-2. Krishna Basin Authority should be headed by a panel of experts representing environment, irrigation, agriculture, ground water, geology, health, ecology, etc. to protect the river basin area for its long term sustainable productivity and ecology.

In response to the special leave petition lodged by AP, Supreme Court directed the GoI on 15/9/2011 not to accept the KWDT - II final verdict till it is reexamined by it for any violation of Interstate River Water Disputes Act 1956(amended last in the year 2002).