What are the major Inter-State Water disputes in the country? - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
September 6, 2016
Inter-State water disputes have only increased in the recent times. As per the information shared by the government, there are 8 major Inter-State water disputes in the country.
With river water being an important source of irrigation in various states, Inter-State river water disputes have only increased. The Cauvery dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has once again reached the Supreme Court. But what are the major such disputes in the country?
Inter-State River water disputes
The Inter-State river water disputes are governed by the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956. If a State Government makes a request regarding any water dispute and the Central Government is of opinion that the water dispute cannot be settled by negotiations, then a Water   Disputes Tribunal is constituted for the adjudication of the water dispute.
This act was further amended in 2002 to include the major recommendations of ‘The Sarkaria Commission’. The amendments mandated a one year time frame to setup the water disputes tribunal and also a 3 year time frame to give a decision.
List of major Inter-State Water disputes
Below is the list of major Inter-State water disputes as per the information shared by the Government in the Lok Sabha.
Other Inter-State Water disputes
Apart from the above mentioned disputes, the following are the other Inter-State water disputes
It also must be noted that there are occasions where the states had resolved their disputes on water sharing or joint projects through mutual discussions and agreements with/without the direct intervention of the Central Government. As per information available in central water commission publication “Agreements on Inter-State Rivers of Legal Instruments on Rivers In India”, about 114 inter-State agreements have been reached so far.