Single Tribunal for hear water disputes

• The Union Cabinet has approved the Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019

• The Bill seeks to amend the Inter State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 to streamline the adjudication of inter-state river water disputes.
• A key feature of the bill is the constitution of a single tribunal with different Benches, and the setting of strict timelines for adjudication.
• It will help adjudicate disputes relating to waters of inter-State rivers and river valleys.
• A version of this bill was first introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2017 but subsequently lapsed.

Why need a single tribunal?

• Any State Government may request under the 1956 Act is for any water dispute on the inter-State rivers.
• When the Central government is of the opinion that the dispute cannot be settled by negotiations it constitutes a Water Disputes Tribunal for the adjudication.
• There are about a dozen tribunals that now exist to resolve disputes among States on sharing water from rivers common to them.
• The standalone tribunal so envisaged will have a permanent establishment and permanent office space and infrastructure so as to obviate with the need to set up a separate Tribunal for each water dispute, a time consuming process.

Dispute Resolution Committee

• The Bill also proposes a Dispute Resolution Committee set up by the Central Government for amicably resolving inter-State water disputes within 18 months.
• Any dispute that cannot be settled by negotiations would be referred to the tribunal for its adjudication.
• The dispute so referred to the tribunal shall be assigned by the chairperson of the tribunal to a Bench of the tribunal for adjudication.
• The Bill can also affect the composition of the members of various tribunals, and has a provision to have a technical expert as the head of the tribunal.
• Currently all tribunals are staffed by members of the judiciary, nominated by the Chief Justice.