India News | Row over River Water; SC Permits Andhra to Withdraw 19-yr-old Suit Against Karnataka
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Supreme Court on Thursday closed a lawsuit filed nearly two decades ago by Andhra Pradesh against Karnataka seeking direction to the Centre to set up the inter-state river water tribunal to resolve the dispute over sharing of the river North Pennar water between them.
New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Thursday closed a lawsuit filed nearly two decades ago by Andhra Pradesh against Karnataka seeking direction to the Centre to set up the inter-state river water tribunal to resolve the dispute over sharing of the river North Pennar water between them.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and Justices S Ravindra Bhat and J B Pardiwala took note of the fact that much water has flown since 2003 when the original suit was filed by Andhra Pradesh.
The apex court permitted Andhra Pradesh to withdraw the lawsuit to seek other remedies including approaching the Centre for constituting the river tribunal.
“Nineteen years have lapsed and it will be extremely difficult to consider the matter from the perspective of grant or non-grant of interim relief as, during the last 19 years, various developmental acts such as augmentation of water must have taken place,” it noted.
It said that pleadings and evidence laid down so far, can be used by Andhra Pradesh in the case and left legal and other issues open.
The recording of evidence in the lawsuit of Andhra Pradesh was completed on April 10, 2012, and the matter, since then, was awaiting a hearing and disposal.
After being told that the river in question does not pass through Telangana, the bench noted down the facts of the case and permitted Andhra Pradesh to withdraw the case.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)