PANAJI
Expressing its discontent towards failure of the Authority to note the violations of Karnataka government over Mhadei river diversion, Goa Government, in a fresh submission before PRAWAH -- Progressive River Authority for Welfare and Harmony -- has requested for yet another joint site inspection of the Kalasa Diversion Project site at Kankumbi, Karnataka, the one that was missed out during the first visit in July.
The State has also requested PRAWAH to issue necessary directions to Karnataka, during its upcoming meeting (date of which is yet to be finalized) to restore the reverse slope of the Mhadei river water which is currently being diverted to Malaprabha basin.
Following the request from the Goa government, PRAWAH team visited the Mhadei basin areas in Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra, in July. The outgoing chairman PM Scott in its report gave a complete skip to Karnataka’s violation as the team failed to make visit to the crucial diversion point at Kankumbi.
In a letter to PRAWAH, the State Water Resources Department (WRD) has asked for a fresh joint inspection of the Kalsa diversion project site at Kankumbi. The State also pointed out that the PRAWAH’s first visit, which according to their report was a 'Familiarisation visit to Mhadei basin' failed to inspect or get familiarized with Karnataka’s Kalasa diversion site -- the crucial point where the natural flow of Mhadei river water coming towards Goa is been diverted to Malaprabha basin.
“We have requested PRAWAH to conduct the joint inspection immediately and acknowledge diversion of Mhadei water into the Malaprabha, Krishna Basin,” sources said adding ‘we are hopeful to get a positive response from PRAWAH’.
The letter mentioned that diversion is in the contempt of the Supreme Court order as well as that of the award of Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal. As reported earlier by The Goan, State has already written a letter to PRAWAH last month, just ahead of its third meeting scheduled in Delhi -- that later stood postponed -- highlighting the various violations undertaken by Karnataka.
The department informed that Goa government had already filed a disobedient petition before the Tribunal and contempt petition before the Supreme Court, which will come up for final hearing anytime soon.
