PANAJI
In a fresh push, the Goa government has urged the Mhadei PRAWAH authority to direct Karnataka to immediately prevent any leakage through the masonry plugs constructed in the RCC conduits of the Kalasa Diversion Scheme, warning that any diversion of the river waters to the Malaprabha basin would violate the directions of the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT).
The demand was raised at the 7th meeting of the PRAWAH, held on July 10 under newly appointed Chairperson D S Chaskar in Goa. It was the first meeting chaired by Chaskar. During the meeting, Goa reiterated its long-pending demand for a joint inspection of the Kalasa Diversion Scheme during the current monsoon, when actual flow conditions can be scientifically assessed. Goa's member on the authority, S S Gill, IAS, in his opening remarks, said the State remained committed to cooperative, scientific and sustainable management of the Mhadei basin. He urged PRAWAH to accord the highest priority to the joint inspection and sought Karnataka's cooperation in allowing members, technical experts and officials of the basin States to undertake field inspection, drone surveys and technical documentation of the Kalasa-Bhandura project and its catchment area. “Goa also requests the Authority to direct the State of Karnataka to immediately prevent any leakage through the masonry plugs constructed in the RCC conduits of the Kalasa Diversion Scheme, which were installed pursuant to the directions of the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal vide Order dated 17 April 2014, so that no diversion of Mhadei waters to the Malaprabha Basin takes place in violation of the Tribunal's directions,” the State said. Meanwhile, PRAWAH raised concerns over the delay in preparation of the Mhadei Water Yearbook, which is one of its mandates. The Chairman expressed displeasure that despite PRAWAH being constituted in 2023, the Water Yearbook has not yet been published due to the non-availability of hydrometeorological data from all three basin States. The authority asked all party States to submit pending hydrometeorological and other water-resource data for the complete water year from June 1 to May 31-along with basin maps showing hydrometeorological observation stations and existing water-resource projects. “The Chairman emphasized that timely submission of complete Water Year data, covering the period from 1st June to 31st May, along with basin maps indicating the locations of hydrometeorological observation stations, and existing water resource projects, was essential for preparation of the Water Yearbook,” the minutes noted. The Authority said that the data will facilitate publication of the Water Yearbook and development of a comprehensive hydro-meteorological database for the Mhadei basin.
