PANAJI: Goa AAP MLA Venzy Viegas has stepped up efforts to oppose the diversion of Mhadei waters to the Malaprabha basin, meeting Karnataka Water Resources Department (WRD) Chief Engineer Rajesh Chavan and submitting a formal representation against the proposed diversion today.
Viegas called for a joint multidisciplinary committee comprising representatives from Goa and Karnataka to undertake physical inspections of the Mhadei river basin during both the monsoon and summer seasons and work towards a scientific and constructive solution to the dispute.
“I have submitted a formal representation to the Water Resources Department of the Government of Karnataka. Since no one seems willing to address the actual issue, I have taken this step,” Viegas said. He said the representation had also been requested to be forwarded to the Karnataka Chief Minister.
Viegas welcomed the appointment of N Cheluvarayaswamy as Karnataka’s WRD Minister, recalling his earlier call for resolving the Mhadei issue in a “brotherly, cooperative manner”. “I am glad to have come here in the spirit of those words,” Viegas said.
He proposed the formation of a joint committee involving Karnataka’s local divisions, research and development wings and representatives from Goa. The committee, he said, should conduct field inspections of the Mhadei basin in different seasons before arriving at a decision. “Water scarcity can and should be resolved through comprehensive water security. Water scarcity should never be resolved by permanently diverting a river,” he said.
Viegas stressed that the issue should not be viewed as a political contest between Goa and Karnataka, but as a question of protecting the river and its ecosystem for future generations. He also said future generations would judge whether Karnataka had taken into account scientific evidence and environmental warnings associated with diverting the river. “ They will ask, did Karnataka listen to science? Did they listen to the environmental warning of destruction if the Mhadei is diverted? The answer should be a yes,” Viegas said.
According to Viegas, the river has historically nourished forests, mountains and agricultural lands, and any effort to address water requirements must take into account the ecological balance of the basin. “The Mhadei River did not recognise man-made boundaries like Karnataka or Goa; those divisions were drawn entirely by humans. While we certainly need water, we must secure it in a proper, systematic manner without disrupting the delicate ecological balance; that is the core purpose of our visit,” he said.
Viegas said the meeting with the Karnataka WRD Chief Engineer was only the first step and that he intends to seek a formal meeting with the state’s WRD Minister and senior administrative officials to take the proposed dialogue forward.
