PANAJI
The House Committee on Mhadei held its first outing on Wednesday where members brought in a slew of measures to the table which WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar, who heads it, said will be discussed threadbare even as he suggested that the panel will take on board eminent environmentalists to unravel the possible impact on Goa of Karnataka’s water diversion plan.
“The House Committee has powers and we will appoint nationally reputed environmentalists as consultants and experts to give us inputs on the ill-effects of Karnataka’s pursuit of the plan to divert Mhadei’s waters,” Shirodkar said, adding that a 20-day deadline is set for it.
There was however no definite roadmap or time frame set up yet for the Committee to conclude its proceedings and produce a report to shape up the State’s strategy in the decades-long river dispute with Karnataka.
Nonetheless, members have insisted that the report of the experts be placed by the government before the Supreme Court to strengthen Goa’s case.
Slew of proposals
Meanwhile, MLAs from both the treasury and Opposition benches who are part of the House Committee brought to the table a slew of proposals and ideas which are expected to be examined threadbare in the future sittings.
The proposal to appoint experts and consultants was a proposal that several members had suggested.
Shirodkar said, Goa has already strongly opposed diversion of water outside the Mhadei basin and has even conveyed to Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat that it will affect the Western Ghats which is listed as World Heritage Biodiversity hotspot by UNESCO and has six wildlife sanctuaries, including Karnataka’s Bhimgad sanctuary.
Notifying tiger reserve
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA, Venzy Viegas placed before the committee a proposal to initiate the process of demarcating a tiger reserve and thus strengthen Goa’s case on environmental grounds against diversion of Mhadei’s waters.
Viegas lamented that the narrative until now, in the committee proceedings and the government strategy, has been limited to building the case against Karnataka diverting water without the mandatory clearances.
“If the nods are given tomorrow, Goa’s case will be lost,” Viegas said as he made a strong case to open up new fronts on environmental grounds, including demarcating a ‘tiger reserve’ in the corridor already recognised by the Centre.
Viegas said, he has submitted detailed data related to tiger sightings and killings, past communication from the Centre to the State on initiating the process for notifying a tiger reserve. He also submitted a proposal to enjoin to the committee in an advisory role the former chief conservator of forests, Richard D’Souza, environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar and Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan chief, Nirmala Sawant.
Carlos gives legal tips
Congress legislator Carlos Alvares Ferreira, meanwhile, described the Wednesday’s proceedings as good even as he said he gave a few ideas from the legal point of view on the Mhadei battle.
Ferreira, a former advocate general of the State, said the brazenness with which Karnataka’s DPRs were approved expressly stating that other riparian States need not be consulted, is an issue that Goa needs to escalate to “knock off” the DPRs.
The Aldona MLA also warned that all claims, be it the claim that the Western Ghats is an UN-recognised heritage site or that it is an eco-sensitive zone or for that matter the proposal for a tiger reserve cannot be mere claims if it is to be used in the battle against Karnataka.
“We cannot take emotive stands. If it is a heritage site there has to be government record of it. In the case of tiger reserve, something concrete on paper has to be there,” Ferreira said, even as he raised concerns that the Centre was refusing to even provide Goa a copy of the DPRs officially.
Farce, time wasting: Vijai
Goa Forward Party’s (GFP) MLA Vijai Sardesai slammed the preliminary meeting held on Wednesday and alleged that it was only an exercise to ensure time is bought till the Karnataka elections are done with.
“If the top persons in this government are compromised, there is no point in the discussion. CM Sawant should be summoned by House Committee,” Sardesai said.
