PANAJIKarnataka has always maintained that the Mhadei basin has surplus water, enough to share with riparian States, but the tribunal in its rejection of Karnataka s interlocutory application for 7 TMC, has stated it is inconclusive of the actual status. In its interlocutory application Karnataka had claimed that keeping Goa s requirements in mind for the year 2050, which was 94.4 TMC, there was a surplus of 14.32 TMC. The yield was estimated to be 108.72 TMC. The difference (14.32 TMC) according to Karnataka was available for transfer. The tribunal, however, noted that Karnataka s computation was not to be considered as the claimed surplus was for the entire basin and not the points from where the water was to be lifted. The three points from where Karnataka had proposed to lift the water were at Kalasa, Bhanduri (both in the Malaprabha basin) and Kongla (in the Mhadei basin). “The so called surplus water of 14.32 TMC would not be available at the proposed point from where water is sought to be lifted since the difference in the 75 per cent dependable annual yield and the projected water requirement related to the entire Mhadei basin and not for the cumulative catchment area of 78.4 square kilometres upto three lifting points,” said the tribunal in its 120 page order. Additionally, the Tribunal headed by Chairman J M Panchal also said that Karnataka could not claim that water could be surplus as they had not considered cases of use of water other than at the three points and salinity that begun downstream in the Mhadei basin. Questions will also now arise on previous reports submitted by the Central Water Commission in 2001 claiming 194 TMC while the Institute of Science claimed the basin yield to be 189.85 TMC. In all previous studies, the yield of the entire basin is taken into consideration and not at the points where the water is to be lifted. The tribunal also said lifting of the water would adversely affect the ecology, environment as well as the natural equilibrium in the Mhadei basin in Karnataka as well as Goa. It also pointed to Karnataka as not having provided any data on the effect the diversion would have at the three points as well as at 3 kms downstream, 5 kms downstream and 10-15 kms downstream from those points. There is no calculation or report indicating that surplus water available at the three points from where it is sought to be transferred if 108.72 tmc of water is available as pleaded by Goa. “Therefore, in absence of such data, it is difficult for the Tribunal to come to the conclusion that excess water is available at the three points”, the tribunal said.
THE TRIBUNAL S ORDERn So called surplus water of 14.32 TMC will not be available at proposed point from where water is sought to be liftedn Karnataka has not considered cases of use of water other than at three pointsn Lifting water would adversely affect ecology, environment as well as natural equilibrium in Mhadei basin in Karnataka and Goa n Karnataka has not provided any data on effect the diversion would have at three points
