Tungabhadra River Water Dispute: Cooperative Federalism, Constitutional Framework and Sustainable Basin Management

Recent Developments:

• The Union Government has proposed constituting a High-Level Committee to facilitate an amicable resolution of the long-pending Tungabhadra Basin water-sharing dispute among Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• The proposal follows a rare display of cooperative federalism, where the three States jointly inaugurated 33 newly installed spillway gates at the Tungabhadra Dam and agreed to work collectively for the protection of farmers' interests and sustainable water management.
• The discussions also covered desiltation of the reservoir, conservation of storage capacity and other long-term measures to improve water availability across the basin.

About the Tungabhadra River:

• The Tungabhadra River is a major perennial right-bank tributary of the Krishna River and constitutes one of the most important river systems of the Deccan Plateau.
• The river is formed by the confluence of the Tunga and Bhadra rivers, both originating in the Western Ghats near Varaha Parvatha and Gangamoola in Karnataka.
• The two rivers meet at Kudli to form the Tungabhadra River.
• Flowing for nearly 531 km, the river traverses Karnataka, forms parts of the Karnataka–Andhra Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh–Telangana boundaries, and finally joins the Krishna River at Sangameswaram.
• The combined waters ultimately drain into the Bay of Bengal at Hamsaladeevi.
• The river supports irrigation, drinking water supply, hydropower generation, fisheries, religious tourism and regional ecological balance across southern India.

Tungabhadra Reservoir Project:

• The Tungabhadra Dam was commissioned during the 1950s near Hosapete in the present-day Vijayanagara district.
• It is an important inter-State multipurpose river valley project jointly serving Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• The reservoir provides irrigation to more than 16.38 lakh acres while also supporting drinking water supply, industries and hydroelectric generation.
• Following the 2024 crest gate failure, all 33 spillway gates have been replaced and modernised to improve dam safety, flood regulation and operational efficiency.

Historical Evolution of Water Sharing:

• Water sharing was originally adjudicated by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-I (KWDT-I) constituted in 1969 under the chairmanship of Justice R.S. Bachawat.
• The Tribunal allocated Tungabhadra waters broadly in the ratio of 65:35 between Karnataka and the then undivided Andhra Pradesh.
• The implementation and regulation of allocations are carried out through the Tungabhadra Board.
• Following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, Telangana received an allocated entitlement of 15.9 TMC from the Tungabhadra system.

Present Water Sharing Issues:

Siltation of the Reservoir:

• Decades of heavy sedimentation have substantially reduced the reservoir's effective storage capacity from its original design capacity.
• Reduced storage has adversely affected irrigation reliability, flood moderation and downstream water availability.
• Periodic desiltation has emerged as an important long-term requirement for restoring storage efficiency.

Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme (RDS):

• The Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme is an inter-State irrigation project shared by Karnataka and Telangana across the Tungabhadra River.
• Water is diverted through a canal network of nearly 143 km to irrigate drought-prone regions of Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
• Infrastructure deterioration has restricted Telangana's ability to utilise its allocated share, limiting actual utilisation to nearly 5–6 TMC despite a higher entitlement.

Upper Bhadra Project Dispute:

• Karnataka's Upper Bhadra Lift Irrigation Project has generated concerns among downstream States regarding reduced river flows.
• In 2023, Andhra Pradesh filed an original suit before the Supreme Court contending that the project may adversely affect downstream reservoirs such as Srisailam.
• The dispute highlights the growing challenge of balancing upstream development with downstream water security.

Constitutional and Legal Framework:

Distribution of Legislative Powers:

• Entry 17 of the State List places water, water supply, irrigation and canals under the legislative competence of the States.
• Entry 56 of the Union List empowers Parliament to regulate and develop inter-State rivers and river valleys whenever it is declared expedient in the public interest.

Dispute Resolution Mechanism:

• Article 262 empowers Parliament to provide for adjudication of inter-State river water disputes.
• Parliament exercised this power through the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.
• The Act permits the establishment of specialised tribunals for adjudication of river water disputes.
• The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019 proposed a single permanent tribunal with multiple benches for faster dispute resolution, although it has not yet been enacted.

Judicial Precedent:

• In the Cauvery Judgment (2018), the Supreme Court held that inter-State rivers are national assets.
• The Court rejected the doctrine of exclusive State ownership and emphasised equitable and reasonable utilisation of shared river waters.

Importance of the Tungabhadra Basin:

• Supports food security through irrigation across drought-prone districts.
• Provides drinking water to millions of people in three States.
• Supports hydroelectric generation and industrial development.
• Sustains riverine biodiversity and local livelihoods.
• Holds significant cultural and historical importance because of the Vijayanagara civilisation and the riverfront heritage around Hampi.
• Acts as a critical component of the larger Krishna River Basin.

Major Challenges:

Inter-State Water Conflicts:

• Competing irrigation demands frequently create disputes between upstream and downstream States.
• Delayed implementation of tribunal awards often prolongs conflicts.

Declining Reservoir Capacity:

• Continuous siltation has reduced live storage and weakened drought resilience.
• Climate variability has increased uncertainty in annual river flows.

Infrastructure Constraints:

• Ageing dams, canals and diversion structures require modernisation and regular maintenance.
• Operational inefficiencies increase transmission losses and reduce irrigation efficiency.

Governance Challenges:

• Multiple agencies with overlapping responsibilities often delay coordinated decision-making.
• Data sharing, reservoir operation protocols and real-time monitoring remain inadequate.

Environmental Concerns:

• Sand mining, pollution and catchment degradation have affected river health.
• Reduced environmental flows threaten aquatic biodiversity.

Way Forward:

Integrated River Basin Management:

• Adopt basin-wide planning involving all riparian States through a collaborative institutional framework.
• Strengthen the role of the Tungabhadra Board with greater technical and financial capacity.

Strengthen Cooperative Federalism:

• Institutionalise periodic meetings among basin States for joint planning and conflict prevention.
• Operationalise the proposed High-Level Committee with scientific, legal and administrative representation.

Reservoir Modernisation:

• Undertake large-scale desiltation to restore storage capacity.
• Modernise canal systems, spillway infrastructure and dam safety mechanisms.
• Promote micro-irrigation and water-use efficiency to reduce pressure on river water.

Technology and Data Sharing:

• Establish real-time hydrological monitoring using remote sensing, telemetry and GIS.
• Develop transparent data-sharing mechanisms among all basin States.

Ecological Sustainability:

• Protect catchment areas through afforestation and watershed management.
• Ensure minimum environmental flows for sustaining river ecology.
• Integrate climate adaptation measures into basin planning.

Conclusion:

• The recent consensus among Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana represents an important example of cooperative federalism in India's water governance.
• A sustainable resolution of the Tungabhadra dispute requires balancing equitable water sharing, ecological conservation, dam safety and scientific basin management.
• Strengthening institutional cooperation, modernising infrastructure and adopting integrated river basin governance can transform the Tungabhadra Basin into a model for resolving future inter-State river disputes.

Value Addition for UPSC:

Important Constitutional Provisions:

• Article 262 – Adjudication of inter-State river water disputes.
• Article 131 – Original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in disputes between States.
• Entry 17, State List – Water, irrigation, canals and water supply.
• Entry 56, Union List – Regulation and development of inter-State rivers and river valleys.
• Article 48A – Protection and improvement of the environment.
• Article 51A(g) – Fundamental duty to protect the natural environment