MARGAO
Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar on Friday warned that the mangroves along the Goa coast will be adversely affected, making the State prone to floods if Karnataka has its way in diverting the river Mhadei, even as he hit out at the neighbouring State, saying their thirst for water will be never satisfied even if all the rivers are diverted into Karnataka.
Delivering a lecture on “Mhadei, the Lifeline of Goa” organised by the Friday Forum at Clube Harmonia on Friday evening, Kerkar said unless the salinity equilibrium of the Arabian Sea is maintained with regular flushing of the Mhadei river, mangroves, which act as a natural flood and wind controller, will face extinction. Citing examples of Ethiopia and Cape Town in Africa, how these countries are facing drinking water problems due to increasing salinity for want of flushing of the sea with fresh river water, Kerkar said diversion of river Mhadei will affect Goa’s water resources in a big way.
“Around 43 per cent of Goa’s water requirements is met by the river Mhadei. At least 10 water treatment plants are dependent on the river and its tributaries. Karnataka says water is going waste in Goa, but as many as six talukas of the State are dependent on river Mhadei to meet its water requirements,” he said, while accusing the Karnataka government of planning to divert around 20 TMC of water.
He said that Karnataka’s game plan is to divert the Mhadei water into the Malaprabha river, Khanapur, which is on the verge of extinction because of the damming of the river for sugar plantation.
Describing Mhadei as a geological wonder, with as many as 100 waterfalls around the Chorla Ghat, Kerkar said that while the river originates in Karnataka, it suddenly takes a turn and head towards Goa.
He accused Karnataka government for its repeated attempts to misguide and mislead the Water Tribunal, saying that Goa is a water deficient State and that Karnataka is only making tall claims that the Mhadei river water is wasted in the sea.
The environmentalist lamented that though Goa has around 11 documented rivers, most of these rivers, including Mandovi and River Sal are highly polluted. “River Sal originates at Verna, passing through Margao before emptying in the Arabian Sea at Betul. The condition of Sal is pathetic if one takes a view of the river at the Khareband bridge,” he added.
