Supreme Court Mandates Tribunal Within Month to Settle Tamil Nadu-Karnataka Pennaiyar River Water Dispute

The Supreme Court has ordered the Central government to establish a tribunal within one month to resolve the ongoing Pennaiyar River water-sharing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and N V Anjaria directed the Centre to issue the necessary notification, emphasizing there was no justification for further delay in forming the tribunal.

The ruling came in response to a 2018 suit filed by Tamil Nadu, which challenged Karnataka’s construction of check dams and diversion structures on the inter-state river. Tamil Nadu contended that waters of an inter-state river constitute a national asset, not subject to exclusive claims by any single state. The detailed judgment is yet to be released.