MAPUSA/BELAGAVI
In a significant relief for Goa in the long-running Mhadei river dispute, the Union government has informed Karnataka that it will not consider granting forest and environmental clearances for the contentious Kalasa-Bhandura drinking water project until the Supreme Court delivers its final verdict in the interstate water dispute.
The Centre's stand effectively stalls any further progress on the project, despite Karnataka having secured a share of water from the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal in 2018 and subsequently preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the scheme.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) returned Karnataka's proposal seeking wildlife clearance for the long-pending water diversion issue. In his letter to Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, MoEFCC Union Minister Bhupender Yadav stated the matter cannot be processed until the Supreme Court decides the ongoing legal dispute between Karnataka and Goa.
The union minister was responding to the Karnataka Chief Minister's letter dated December 23, 2025, requesting wildlife clearance for the project proposed near Khanapur taluka in Belagavi district. “The matter is presently pending adjudication before the Supreme Court. In view of the pendency of the matter before the Apex Court and the issues requiring resolution between the concerned States, the wildlife clearance proposal has been returned to the State Government at this juncture. The matter shall be considered afresh in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court,” Yadav informed Shivakumar in his letter.
It may be recalled that Karnataka had filed an interlocutory application before the Supreme Court in October 2023 challenging the March 29, 2023 order of the Chief Wildlife Warden of Goa.
However as the matter remains sub judice and involves issues that require resolution between the two States, the Centre has decided not to process the wildlife clearance proposal at this stage. The Kalasa-Bhandura project envisages the diversion of water from the Mhadei river basin through the Kalasa and Bhandura tributaries to meet the drinking water requirements of the twin cities of Hubballi and Dharwad and nearby regions in Karnataka.
Goa, however, has consistently opposed the project, arguing that any diversion of water from the ecologically sensitive Mhadei basin would adversely affect the river's downstream flow, biodiversity, forests, wildlife and the livelihoods dependent on the river.
The latest development is being viewed as another setback for Karnataka's efforts to commence the project. Although the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal, in its 2018 award, permitted Karnataka to divert a limited quantity of water for drinking purposes, Goa challenged the tribunal's decision in the Supreme Court. Karnataka has also approached the apex court on certain aspects of the award, leaving the dispute unresolved.
