PNS|New Delhi
In a significant legal tussle over Krishna river water sharing, the Supreme Court on Tuesday heard arguments in a writ petition filed by the State of Andhra Pradesh seeking to quash the Further Terms of Reference (FToRs) issued by the Union government to the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (KWDT-II) based on a 2014 complaint by Telangana.
The writ petition, numbered WP(C) 1230/2023, was filed on October 17, 2023, naming the Union of India and the Government of Telangana as respondents.
Andhra Pradesh contended that the Gazette Notification issued by the Centre on October 6, 2023, referring fresh terms to the existing tribunal, was arbitrary and legally untenable. The state also filed an interim application seeking a stay on KWDT-II proceedings under the newly issued FToRs.
However, the Supreme Court had earlier refused to grant any stay on the tribunal’s hearings, allowing Andhra Pradesh to participate in the ongoing proceedings “subject to the outcome of these proceedings.” On Tuesday, a bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh took up the matter for detailed hearing.
Senior advocates Jaideep Gupta, G. Umapathy, and Advocate General Dammalapati Srinivas appeared on behalf of Andhra Pradesh, while senior counsel C.S. Vaidyanathan, V. Ravinder Rao, and Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati represented the Union of India and Telangana.
The arguments remained inconclusive, with the bench adjourning the matter to Wednesday, April 24, for continued hearing.
