Vamsadhara Water Tribunal Orders Odisha to Start Map Preparation With AP 

The Vamsadhara Water Dispute Tribunal on Friday instructed the State of Odisha to hand over 106 acres needed for Neradi Barrage Project within one year from the date of publication of the order in official Gazette.

Andhra Pradesh has been requesting Odisha for a joint survey and investigation so as to prepare a map showing the protection wall, catch drain, inspection path, walk way bridge and so on.

The Odisha government was, however, not coming forward for the joint survey on the plea that the Vamsadhara Water Dispute Award had not been published in the Gazette and that there were no orders from the tribunal.

The tribunal passed an order directing AP and Odisha to conduct a joint survey under the supervision of the Central Water Commission (CWC) and submit a map showing the area of 106 acres for building of protection wall on the left embankment of the river and a catch drain behind the protection wall before June 30. (With inputs from The Hindu)

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Status Note on Vamsadhara Water Disputes Tribunal

 Vamsadhara River is an Inter State river originating in the Eastern Ghats of Kalahandi District in Orissa State.

 After flowing for 154 km in Orissa, the river flows for a length of 29 km along the Common boundary between Orissa and Andhra Pradesh and further 82 Km in Andhra Pradesh before joining the Bay of Bengal.

 On 30.9.1962 an agreement was concluded between the States of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to share the available yield of 115 TMC of water assessed upto Gotta on Vamsadhara River Basin at 50:50 basis. As per the recent assessment of CWC in 2007, the yield of Vamsadhara is 105TMC.

 Government of Andhra Pradesh proposed to take up the Vamsadhara Project in two stages.

• The Stage- I consisting of Gotta barrage and Left Main Canal to irrigate an ayacut of 1.48 Lakh acres by utilizing 17.841 TMC of river water. The works were completed.

• Under Stage-II, it is proposed to irrigate 1.07 lakh acres with 16.048 TMC of water.

 Due to delay in obtaining Land of 106 acres from Government of Orissa for construction of Neradi Barrage, the GoAP has taken up Vamsadhara Stage-II in two phases.

• The Phase-I of Stage-II comprises construction of Right Main Canal from Gotta barrage to irrigate 0.62 Lakh acres. The work is almost completed.

• The Phase-II of Stage-II comprising construction of Neradi Barrage, Flood Flow Canal and Hiramandalam Reservoir to irrigate 45000 acres and also to stabilize ayacut under LMC & RMC of Gotta Barrage.

 Though Orissa has agreed in principle for construction of Neradi Barrage, it has objected to give concurrence for execution of Neradi Barrage on the ground of possibility of excess Land Acquisition over and above the mutually agreed extent of 106 acres and back water effect due to barrage, in the wake of unprecedented floods of 1980.

 To derive the early benefits of river waters which otherwise go waste into sea and also in view of the abnormal delay in obtaining concurrence of Orissa Government, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has proposed to construct a side weir and Flood Flow Canal in A.P territory at Katragadda village about 2.00 Km upstream of the proposed Neradi Barrage as a temporary structure to divert flood waters into Hiramandalam reservoir.

 Andhra Pradesh has filed a complaint on 28-07-2009 with MOWR, GOI requesting for constitution of Tribunal and refer the complaint of Andhra Pradesh on Neradi Barrage and Side Weir for adjudication. GOI on 24-02-2010 constituted Vamsadhara Water Dispute Tribunal (VWDT).

 On 13-09-2017 Tribunal prepared and pronounced final order and decision by permitting the State of Andhra Pradesh to construct Side Weir and Neradi Barrage under section 5(2) of ISRWD Act 1956.

 The Government of Andhra Pradesh Constructed side weir and flood flow canal as a temporary measure as per VWDT interim order dt. 17-12-2013.

 The State of Andhra Pradesh requesting GOI to publish the decision of the Hon’ble VWDT dt:13.09.2017, in the official Gazette in terms of sec(6) of ISRWD Act 1956 at an early date to give effect to the decision of the Hon’ble VWDT dt:13.09.2017.

 The arguments on clarifications of Government of Odisha and Government of India are in process.

 On 05.04.2019 Hon’ble VWDT directed to conduct Joint Survey by officials of States of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha under Supervision of CWC for identifying 106 acres of land in Odisha territory.

 The State of Odisha filed Rejoinder to the reply filed by the State of Andhra Pradesh to the Application I.A.1/2019 before Hon’ble VWDT to modify the order dated 05.04.2019.

 The Hon’ble VWDT reserved the Judgment and today pronounced judgment reiterating the directions issued in Tribunal order dated 05th April, 2019 which should now be carried out immediately and that exercise of survey and preparation of the map should commence immediately after the monsoon is over i.e. by the end of October, 2019 positively and completed within a period of six weeks under the active and direct supervision of the Central Water Commission. The proceeding shall be listed for further directions on 10th January, 2020.

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