Govt may seek update on request for joint inspection at Kankunbi

PANAJI

With no communication being received from the Mhadei- PRAWAH (Progressive River Authority for Welfare and Harmony) over its request for a fresh joint inspection of the Kalasa Diversion project site at Kankumbi, Karnataka, the Goa Government is likely to write to the Authority seeking an update.

PRAWAH, during its third meeting held on October 25, 2024 decided to approach Central Water Commission (CWC) seeking legal opinion with regards to Goa’s request for joint site inspection. Three months down the line, Goa has not received any communication from PRAWAH. Interestingly, CWC Chief Navin Kumar is the chairman of PRAWAH.  

Speaking to The Goan, WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar said that the State has not received any update from PRAWAH with regards to site inspection request. “We have no idea whether PRAWAH has written to the Central government (CWC). We may write a reminder letter to the Authority seeking clarity,” he said.

Shirodkar informed that the meeting had resolved to take legal opinion from the Central government on conducting 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.

He said that PRAWAH decided to approach the Centre after Karnataka raised strong objections to the Joint inspection while Goa insisted on the same.

Following the request from the Goa government in April, last year, PRAWAH team visited the Mhadei basin areas of Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra, in July. However, the team failed to inspect the actual diversion site and accordingly, the outgoing chairman PM Scott in its report gave a complete skip to Karnataka’s violation.

This was strongly objected by Goa, who through a fresh communication, in August, requested the authority for another joint site inspection.

The Authority was constituted on May 22, 2023 to give effect to the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) Award passed in August 2018.

PRAWAH during its first meeting held in Goa in February, was of the view that the river diversion issue could be resolved “amicably” by the three riparian States- Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra.