PANAJI
Karnataka Agriculture Minister N Chaluvaraya Swamy has appealed for an amicable and “brotherly” resolution to the long-running Mhadei river water dispute between Goa and Karnataka. He said both States should resolve the issue through dialogue rather than allow litigation to continue indefinitely.
Speaking in Goa, Swamy reiterated that Karnataka’s demand for Mhadei water was primarily for drinking purposes and filling tanks. He stressed the close social ties between the two States, pointing out that many people from Karnataka live in Goa, while many Goans reside in Karnataka, including Bengaluru. “Both the States are in a brotherly relationship. There are so many Karnataka people staying in Goa and, at the same time, Goans are residing in Karnataka as well as Bengaluru,” he said.
The minister said the dispute should be viewed in the larger context of both States being part of the same country and urged them to find a solution through dialogue.
“First, we have to think that we are all Indians. We have to share the problems and it should be solved at the doorstep only. Karnataka and Goa are brotherly States. Both States want water. Keeping this in mind, we have to resolve the problem in a brotherly manner,” he said.
The Mhadei dispute has been pending for several years, with Goa strongly opposing Karnataka’s attempts to divert water from the Mhadei basin towards the Malaprabha basin. The matter has also been the subject of prolonged legal proceedings.
Acknowledging that the issue was before the courts, Swamy said both States had a legitimate need for water and called for the dispute to be resolved in a friendly manner.
“The litigation has been there for so many years, not from today. For both the States, water is very much important. It should be resolved in a friendly manner,” he said.
Swamy maintained that Karnataka, being the downstream State, needed Goa’s cooperation, particularly for drinking water and filling tanks. “Without Mhadei, the downstream of Karnataka can’t get not even a single drop of water,” he said, arguing that water flowing into the sea during floods could instead be conserved for Karnataka’s needs. “When floods come, where are you keeping that water? Unnecessarily it is reaching the sea, no? We are requesting the neighbouring State, the brotherly State, please save us,” Swamy said.
He clarified that Karnataka’s demand was primarily for drinking water and filling tanks, and not for other purposes. “For drinking purpose and for filling of the tanks, not for any other purpose,” he said.
