BELAGAVI
Kannada associations and activists have termed Goa’s claims of receding of Mhadei water due to diversion as misleading. The associations have also decried the statement of Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant stating that his government is against an out-of-court settlement on the issue.
Speaking to The Goan, President of Kannada Organisations Action Committee Chandargi said, “Voicing the concerns of Goan environmentalists, Pramodji has claimed that there is a shortage of water in Mhadei after Karnataka diverted water to Malaprabha. But so far Karnataka has not diverted any water at all. The retainer wall that was erected in 2015 under the supervision and inspection of the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal is intact. The state is waiting for the green signal from forest, wildlife and environment departments before implementing the Justice Panchal tribunal award,” Chandargi said.
If what the Goans are claiming is true, then Karnataka would get at least one TMC ft of water within a month, he ascertained.
Referring to the meeting of Karnataka’s representative in Delhi with Sawant last week, he said that the Goa CM had agreed for negotiations on the issue when Karnataka’s Delhi representative Shankargowda Patil had met him recently.
“But I cannot help as the Goa CM has now disowned his own statement. It may be recalled that earlier too he had assured Union Minister Pralhad Joshi in this regard and had subsequently denied the same. However, looking at the cordial relations between people of Goa and North Karnataka, we urge him to come for an out-of-court settlement.”
Meanwhile, all eyes are on Karnataka Minister for Water Resources Ramesh Jarkiholi who has called for a high-level meeting in Belagavi on Monday to discuss the measures required to be initiated to implement the Mhadei water diversion and other projects in the state.
