PANAJI
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi's recommendation to the Karnataka government to withdraw its pending Supreme Court pleas in the Mhadei river dispute to facilitate statutory clearances for the controversial Kalasa-Bhanduri project has been firmly rejected by the Goa government, which asserted that the matter will remain sub-judice as long as Goa's challenge to the 2018 Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal award and its contempt petitions against Karnataka remain pending before the apex court.
Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar said Karnataka withdrawing its petitions would have no legal bearing on the ongoing litigation.
"We have also filed our petition in the Supreme Court. Their withdrawal alone will not make any change. Since Goa's and Maharashtra's pleas are pending, the matter will continue to remain sub-judice. There is no point reacting at this stage. We will respond if and when the situation arises," Shirodkar said.
His remarks came after Joshi said he had urged the Karnataka government to withdraw its pending cases before the Supreme Court, arguing that doing so would remove administrative hurdles, expedite statutory clearances for the Kalasa-Bhanduri project and pave the way for resolving the dispute through cooperation between the Centre and the states. Joshi also claimed that the Karnataka Chief Minister had responded positively to the proposal.
Shirodkar further pointed out that Goa has filed multiple contempt petitions against Karnataka for allegedly carrying out works related to the Kalasa-Bhanduri project without obtaining mandatory statutory clearances. "Karnataka cannot escape those judicial proceedings," he said. Meanwhile, Karnataka Major and Medium Irrigation Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the state was examining its legal options, including withdrawing pending Supreme Court cases, to expedite the project. He said the proposal would be discussed with the Chief Minister and the Advocate General before a final decision is taken, adding that such a move would help resume the Kalasa project.
Joshi's recommendation came days after the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change returned Karnataka's proposal seeking wildlife clearance for the Kalasa-Bhanduri project, citing the pendency of the interstate dispute before the Supreme Court. The Ministry said no decision on the wildlife clearance proposal would be taken until the apex court resolves the matter. While the Ministry did not specifically refer to the special leave petitions challenging the tribunal award, it noted that Karnataka had filed an interlocutory application before the Supreme Court in October 2023 challenging the March 29, 2023 order of Goa's Chief Wildlife Warden. Stating that the dispute remains pending before the apex court and requires resolution between the two states, the Ministry decided not to process the wildlife clearance proposal at this stage. Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar also opposed Joshi's suggestion, contending that any attempt to bypass the judicial process would be detrimental to Goa's interests. He said the Mhadei dispute should be resolved only through the Supreme Court and reiterated that the Mhadei-Mandovi-Zuari river system is Goa's lifeline, warning that the proposed diversion projects would threaten the state's water security, forests and biodiversity.
