Union Home Minister Amit Shah urged southern states to resolve pending water disputes through dialogue at the 31st Zonal Council meeting. The states agreed to the suggestion, while Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also agreed to resolve asset division issues.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday emphasised an early resolution of pending water-related issues concerning southern states through joint meetings involving Central ministries and concerned stakeholders. The southern states agreed with the Home Minister's suggestion to resolve these pending water disputes "expeditiously through mutual dialogue and constructive solutions". Regarding issues concerning the division of assets and liabilities between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, both states agreed to resolve these matters in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Shah made the statement while addressing the meeting of the 31st Zonal Council, pointing out that the joint meetings involve the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Inter-State Council, and the respective states. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) shared the inputs, citing what the Home Minister focused on in the meeting. "Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasised the need for the early resolution of pending water-related issues concerning southern states through joint meetings involving the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Inter-State Council, and the respective states," MHA said in a statement. "The southern states agreed with the Home Minister's suggestion to resolve these pending water disputes expeditiously through mutual dialogue and constructive solutions. Regarding issues concerning the division of assets and liabilities between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, both states agreed to resolve these matters in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs."
Shah Proposes River Interlinking for Water Security
Shah also observed that protecting the interests of one's state is not wrong; however, if the process of protecting interests results in states being deprived of water for years while it simply flows into the sea, then no actual interest is being served. He said that linking major rivers, from the Brahmaputra to the Kaveri and Godavari, could ensure that India faces no water shortage for the next 100 years. This initiative, Shah said, could also facilitate the creation of multiple waterways, which would not only save fuel and improve the environment but also provide a cost-effective transportation system.
North India's Dispute Resolution Cited as Model
The minister said that in North India five out of the eight issues related to sharing of river waters had been persisting since the pre-British era. A final agreement was reached five months ago, and by resolving 100 per cent of the issues, spanning from Kashmir to Uttar Pradesh, a dispute-free North India has been achieved.
'Southern states are pillars of progress'
Amit Shah said that the southern states are the main pillars of the country's progress, and the progress of the southern states depends on water. "Whether it is agriculture, industry, healthy citizens or the environment, water is the soul of this region in all these four areas," he mentioned.
The Home Minister further said that in North India, five out of the eight issues related to sharing of river waters had been persisting since the pre-British era, and that a final agreement was reached five months ago. "By resolving 100 per cent of the issues, spanning from Kashmir to Uttar Pradesh, a dispute-free North India has been achieved," MHA mentioned, quoting Shah's address in the meeting.
Zonal Council's Enhanced Role Since 2014
In the meeting, Shah said that since 2014, efforts have been made to transform the Zonal Council into a meaningful platform, and that it is essentially a constitutional mechanism that, over a long period, had gradually been reduced to a mere formality.
Comparing the periods of 2004-2014 and 2014-2026, he said that while the Council previously held an average of two and a half meetings annually, it now holds six meetings each year. He mentioned that a total of 70 Zonal Council meetings have taken place since 2014, during which 1,445 out of 1,869 issues, approximately 80 per cent, were resolved. Shah added that many issues pending for 60 years have been settled through these Zonal Council meetings.
The meeting was attended by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan, Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K Kailashnathan, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Lieutenant Governor Admiral (Retd) DK Joshi, Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Patel, and the Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu. Chief secretaries, advisors and other senior officers of the state governments, as well as senior officers of the Central government, also attended the meeting. (ANI)
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