PANAJI
The Centre on Monday clarified in the Lok Sabha that no proposal seeking Environmental Clearance (EC) for any project involving the diversion of the Mhadei (Mandovi) river is currently under consideration. The Union Environment Ministry revealed that concerned State governments have not submitted any request to undertake a Cumulative Impact Assessment or Carrying Capacity Study for the ecologically sensitive river basin.
The revelation came in a written reply provided by the Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in response to Unstarred Question No. 3566 asked by South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes.
Concerns raised over
environmental impact
The parliamentary question highlighted serious anxieties voiced by civil society groups, scientific institutions, and environmental experts regarding the proposed diversion of the Mhadei River.
Key concerns submitted to the ministry included:
Drinking water & saline ingress: Threats to Goa’s drinking water security, potential saline ingress, and impacts on freshwater aquifers across the Mandovi river basin.
Biodiversity & ecosystem loss: Widespread loss of rich forest biodiversity and degradation of riverine ecology.
Regional degradation in Karnataka: Risks of deforestation, desertification, and severe ecological degradation across the Khanapur and Belagavi regions of Karnataka.
Statutory clearance
procedure
Addressing the query on mitigation safeguards, Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh outlined the statutory clearance mechanism governing such infrastructure projects:
Mandatory Environmental Clearance: River diversion projects involving hydroelectric generation or major/medium irrigation schemes require prior Environmental Clearance (EC) under Item 1(c) of the Schedule to the Environment (Impact Assessment) Notification, 2006.
Detailed Environmental Appraisal: The EIA Notification provides a structured protocol for appraising environmental impacts, including biodiversity loss, river ecosystem disruption, impact on environmental flows, water quality, and groundwater levels.
Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) Oversight: Projects are evaluated by an EAC comprising domain experts who recommend environmental safeguards, general conditions, and specific mitigation measures to minimize social and ecological impacts before any clearance is granted.
No proposal or State
request on record
The Ministry emphasized the crucial role of state governments in initiating basin-wide environmental studies. As per prescribed MoEF&CC procedures, the concerned state government must identify and submit details for river basins where a Cumulative Impact Assessment and Carrying Capacity Study (CIA&CCS) is needed.
The Minister confirmed that there were no proposals or details regarding a cumulative impact study submitted by State authorities for the Mhadei/Mandovi basin.
The Minister also confirmed that no pending application seeking Environmental Clearance for any river diversion project on the Mhadei/Mandovi river is currently before the Ministry.
The minister also stated that as an inter-state prerequisite any such inter-state river proposal additionally requires mandatory clearance from the Central Water Commission (CWC) or the relevant Inter-State River Water Dispute Tribunal.
