Gazette Notification: Term of Ravi–Beas and Krishna Water Disputes Tribunals Extended

¨     Government of India extended the tenure of the Ravi and Beas Waters Tribunal and the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal by one year through gazette notifications issued on 15 June 2026.

¨     The Ravi and Beas Waters Tribunal was constituted in April 1986.

¨     The Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-II) was constituted in April 2004.

¨     Inter-State Water Dispute Tribunals are established under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.

¨     These tribunals adjudicate disputes related to the waters of inter-state rivers and river valleys.

¨     They examine the claims of basin states, allocation of river waters, and related engineering and administrative issues.

¨     The Ravi and Beas Waters Tribunal is one of India’s oldest active water tribunals, functioning for about 40 years.

¨     It adjudicates water-sharing disputes among Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan over the Ravi and Beas rivers.

¨     The tribunal submitted its initial report in 1987, but the dispute remained unresolved after states sought clarifications.

¨     The Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-II) deals with water-sharing disputes among Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana.

¨     The tribunal’s tenure has been extended until 31 July 2027.

¨     Water is a State Subject under Entry 17 of the State List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.

¨     Inter-state river water disputes require a separate legal mechanism because river basins cross state boundaries and involve competing claims over irrigation, drinking water, and hydropower.