Baglihar verdict

A fter nearly two years of arbitration, the contentious Baglihar power project over the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district has been given the green light. The World Bank's neutral expert submitted his final verdict clearing the project on February 12, at Berne, Switzerland.

Cauvery tribunal awards, states reject

though the verdict on the Cauvery water dispute was pronounced on February 5, 2007, it has failed to reach a lasting consensus. The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (cwdt) took 16 years to come up with the final plan for sharing of Cauvery water between Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.

Mullaperiyar imbroglio Rivers plight politicians delight

inter-state water conflicts have become the stock-in-trade of Indian politics. They are easy matter for politicians and technocrats to milk. The disputes most often end up in the Supreme Court with an uneasy imbroglio making matters easy for politicking.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala slug it out over Mullaperiyar dam

THE longstanding controversy over the Mullaperiyar dam on the river Periyar assumed bitter proportions in December 2006 with the Kerala government accusing its Tamil Nadu counterpart of pulling out of talks initiated by the Union minister of water resources, Saifudin Soz. The talks had begun on September 25 after directives from the Supreme Court. But it reached a dead-end with both sides refusing to budge from their well-held positions.

Springs of life India's water resources

'Springs of Life India's Water Resources' by Ganesh Pangare, Vasudha Pangare, Binayak Das Academic Foundation New Delhi

Goa, Karnataka fight over Khalsa-Bandhura project

the recent decision of Karnataka State Cabinet to go ahead with the Khalsa-Bandhura project on river Mhadei and the subsequent laying down of the foundation stone on September 22 at Kanakumbi village in Khanapur taluka of Belgaum district, despite strong protests from the Goa government, has initiated a bitter battle between both the states.

Interstate disputes over Krishna waters

Interstate Disputes over Krishna Waters Law, Science and Imperialism by Radha D'Souza The title of the book under review does not do much justice to what lies between its covers. Radha D'Souza's study is much more than an analysis of the Krishna water dispute. It covers diverse themes imperialism, law, sociology of science, development projects, social engineering. Conflicts over waters of the river Krishna provide the anchor for the enquiry.

Orissa won't allow dam at Polavaram

on august 7, 2006, the Orissa state legislative assembly unanimously resolved to oppose the Andhra Pradesh government's decision to dam the Godavari river at Polavaram.Replying to a discussion on the resolution, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said the proposed project on Godavari river will submerge a substantial area of tribal-dominated Malkangiri district in Orissa.He expressed surprise over the environmental clearance granted by the Union ministry of environment and forests (moef) saying it was done in a "surpr

In Court

relief declined: The Krishna Water Tribunal declined to grant an interim relief on the applications filed by Maharashtra and Karnataka seeking the tribunal's intervention in restraining the lower riparian state of Andhra Pradesh from going ahead with the construction of 11 projects in the Krishna and Godavari basins. The three-member tribunal further said that use of surplus water in questionable projects by Andhra Pradesh will not entitle it to raise any claim on grounds of prior utilisation or committed use.

In Court

pollution fine: A Chinese water firm has won US $285,100 in a lawsuit against three firms in the Inner Mongolian city of Baotou for polluting more than 400 km of the Yellow river. Initially, the firm had been awarded US $358,000, but after an appeal the three companies and the water firm agreed via arbitration to lower the figure.