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A Bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice NV Anjaria ordered that the tribunal be constituted within one month, rejecting further delays in resolving the issue through negotiations.
SC directs centre to constitute tribunal to settle Pennaiyar river dispute
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Central government to formally notify the constitution of a water disputes tribunal to adjudicate the long-pending river water sharing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the Pennaiyar River, known as Dakshina Pinakini in Karnataka.
A Bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice NV Anjaria ordered that the tribunal be constituted within one month, rejecting further delays in resolving the issue through negotiations.
“We find no reason to refrain from directing the Central government to issue an appropriate notification in the official gazette and constitute a water disputes tribunal for adjudication of the inter-State water dispute within a period of one month,” the Bench observed.
Background of the dispute
The case arises from disagreements over the sharing of Pennaiyar river waters, which flow from Karnataka (upstream) into Tamil Nadu (downstream). Tamil Nadu has alleged that upstream projects and decisions taken by Karnataka have adversely affected water availability downstream, causing significant prejudice to the state.
Tamil Nadu filed an original suit before the Supreme Court in 2018, naming Karnataka and the Union government as respondents, seeking the establishment of a tribunal under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act.
Centre’s delay and court’s intervention
While the Central government had earlier suggested resolving the matter through ministerial-level talks, Tamil Nadu consistently argued that negotiations had failed and pressed for a statutory tribunal.
The Supreme Court has repeatedly expressed displeasure over the delay:
In January 2019, the Court allowed Tamil Nadu to pursue tribunal formation. In November 2022, it pulled up the Centre for failing to resolve the dispute through talks. Despite multiple extensions, including one granted in May, no final decision was taken.
In 2023, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti informed the Court that although a proposal had been sent via the Cabinet Secretariat, the Union Cabinet had not yet approved the formation of the Pennaiyar Water Disputes Tribunal.
The Court eventually reserved its verdict in December 2025, leading to Monday’s directive.
Similar precedents
Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have previously been locked in water-sharing disputes, most notably over the Cauvery River. In its 2018 Cauvery verdict, the Supreme Court underscored that rivers and water resources are national assets, and no single state can claim exclusive ownership.
With the latest order, the Centre is now legally bound to initiate the tribunal process, potentially paving the way for a structured and time-bound resolution of the Pennaiyar river dispute.
