PANAJI
A claim by Karnataka's irrigation minister that he met top Central ministers in the national capital to push for statutory clearances for a 'ambitious drinking water' project tapping the Mhadei river is set to re-ignite the row over the inter-State river water sharing dispute at least in political circles here in Goa.
Govind Karjol, who is the minister holding major and medium irrigation department portfolio in Karnataka, claimed on Friday that he had met the Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi at the latter's residence.
Karjol said the meeting was in connection with seeking approval for the ambitious Mhadei drinking water project.
"I requested them to approve the project. A detailed discussion was held with the Union Hydropower Minister who has responded positively and promised to solve the problem,” Joshi, who hails from Karnataka, tweeted.
Karjol also took up other pending irrigation proposals of Karnataka -- Upper Krishna Phase-3, Mekedatu project and Upper Bhadra project.
These reports of lobbying by Karnataka over its Mhadei waters related project with the Centre is expected to raise the heckles of politicians in Goa and put pressure on Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the ruling BJP in the State.
Diversion of Mhadei waters by Karnataka has been a controversial matter between it and Goa for over four decades and in recent years politically sensitive as well.
It was referred to a water disputes redressal tribunal by the Centre after several rounds of Chief Minister level talks of the two States over the decades had failed to resolve the matter.
The tribunal passed an interim award granting Karnataka 14-odd TMC of the river's waters in 2018, including 3.9 TMC for the drinking water project.
After the award was passed, Goa has raised several objections and even filed a challenge in the Supreme Court but with no success. The Centre has already notified the award but Goa insists that Karnataka will have to first obtain all statutory permissions including environmental clearances for any physical work on the ground.
Originating in Karnataka and running a 28-km course in that State, the Mhadei river cuts through nearly 84-km breadth of North Goa feeding it's biodiverse ecosystems before it meets the Arabian Sea at Panaji.
Goa is claiming irreparable environmental damage will be caused to it if Karnataka is permitted to implement its plans of damming and diverting the river's waters to the water deficient Malaprabha river basin.
Recent media reports had suggested that Karnataka has commenced laying of poles to demarcate pipelines allegedly meant to lift water from the Kalasa and Haltara nullahs in the North of the State.
The Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal meanwhile has got another year until August next year, to submit its 'further report' on water sharing between Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
It was slated to first submit this 'further report' by August 20, 2019 but it never did and has since been given one year extensions in August 2020 and 2021, besides this year.
