The Supreme Court has ordered the Central government to notify and constitute a tribunal within one month to resolve the Pennaiyar (Dakshina Pinakini) river water sharing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The Court said continued delay is unjustified and stressed the need for formal adjudication of the long-pending inter-state water conflict.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Monday directed the Central Government to formally notify the constitution of a tribunal to resolve the long-pending inter-state water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the sharing of water from the Pennaiyar River, also known as the Dakshina Pinakini River.
A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and NV Anjaria made it clear that the Centre must take the necessary steps within one month. While passing the order, the Court observed,
“We find no reason to refrain from directing the Central government to issue an appropriate notification in the official gazette and to constitute a water disputes tribunal for the adjudication of the inter-state water dispute between the parties herein within a period of one month from today,”
the Court said.
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The case relates to the sharing of water from the Pennaiyar River, which flows from Karnataka into Tamil Nadu and is known as Dakshina Pinakini in Kannada-speaking regions.
Tamil Nadu had approached the Supreme Court in 2018 by filing an original suit against the Karnataka government and the Union of India, alleging that certain decisions taken by Karnataka regarding the upstream use of the river have adversely affected water flow to Tamil Nadu, which lies downstream.
According to Tamil Nadu, actions taken by Karnataka in the upper reaches of the river have resulted in reduced water availability, causing serious concern to farmers and residents dependent on the river in the State.
The State argued that these decisions were taken without its consent and violated established principles governing inter-state river water sharing.
Earlier, the Central Government had suggested that the dispute could be resolved through discussions and ministerial-level meetings between the two States. However, Tamil Nadu strongly insisted on the constitution of a statutory tribunal, stating that negotiations had failed to yield any meaningful outcome.
In November 2022, the Supreme Court had expressed strong displeasure over the Centre’s prolonged delay in resolving the issue through negotiations.
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Even before that, in January 2019, the Court had allowed Tamil Nadu to seek the formation of a tribunal to address the dispute. Despite this, the process saw repeated delays, and in May, the Court had granted the Centre additional time to take a final decision.
In 2023, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti informed the apex court that although a proposal for setting up the Pennaiyar Water Disputes Tribunal had been sent to the Cabinet Secretariat, the Union Cabinet had not yet taken a final decision on the matter.
After hearing the parties, the Supreme Court reserved its verdict in December 2025 and has now delivered a clear direction to the Central Government to act without further delay.
Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have a history of inter-state water disputes, most notably over the Cauvery River. In February 2018, the Supreme Court delivered its landmark judgment in the Cauvery water dispute case, where it emphasised that rivers and water resources are national assets. The Court had also observed that no single State can claim exclusive ownership or control over inter-state water bodies.
The latest order is expected to bring long-awaited institutional clarity to the Pennaiyar river dispute and pave the way for a formal adjudication process through a dedicated tribunal.
Case Title:
The State of Tamil Nadu v. The State of Karnataka and anr
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