In a relief to Andhra Pradesh, a central tribunal today gave it conditional approval to construct Side Channel Weir along with the ancillary works on the sides of Vansadhara River.
The Vansadhara Water Disputes Tribunal, chaired by Justice M K Sharma, has laid ten conditions in its interim order, which the tribunal has said should be "scrupulously followed and maintained".
According to the order, a Supervisory Flow Management and Regulation Committee consisting of three members, each drawn from the Central Water Commission (CWC), Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, should be constituted to supervise the construction and functioning of the Side Weir and implementation of the order of the tribunal. The CWC member would also be acting as the Chairman of the Committee.
Observing that the project proposal must obtain clearance from the CWC as well as Ministries of Water Resources, Environment and Forest and Tribal Welfare, the tribunal has said that the committee shall supervise the operation of gates of the Side Channel Weir including the closure of the same.
The committee, the tribunal said, should maintain the record of flow upstream of the Side Channel Weir and that passing through the Side Channel Weir.
"The committee shall permit the opening of the gate only when the flow in the Vansadhara river upstream of Side Channel Weir exceeds 4000 Cusecs and the flow downstream of the Side Channel Weir is equal to more than 4000 Cusecs."
Andhra Pradesh had proposed the construction of a Side Weir on its side of the river, as a temporary measure, to enable the State to draw about eight TMC of water to meet its immediate irrigation requirements.
But, Odisha objected and opposed the construction of the Side Weir on the grounds that such diversion would deprive the existing and possible irrigation projects of 30,000 acres and also would adversely affect the supply of drinking water to 18 villages, apart from causing irreparable damage to the environment, flora, fauna and river morphology.
