the goan I network
PANAJI
Goa’s interests in the Mhadei water diversion row suffered a serious setback on Wednesday with the Kalasa-Bhanduri drinking water project proposed by Karnataka received the all important Environmental Clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
The news of the Karnataka project getting the crucial green nod was first made public by the Union Environment Minister Prakash Javdekar, in a tweet.
“On the follow up of my cabinet colleague and Union Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi, Kalasa Banduri drinking water project in Karnataka has been granted Environmental Approval,” Javdekar had tweeted on Wednesday evening.
Interestingly after political parties and environmentalists in Goa reacted sharply, Javdekar deleted the tweet.
Joshi, who represents the area in Karnataka which will benefit from the project, had met the Water Resources Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat earlier this week and formally requested him to explore the notification of the award of Mahadayi river water tribunal at the earliest.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant took a serious stand on the politically potent issue saying the environmental clearance granted to the project would be challenged before appropriate forums, including NGT. “According to us such EC can’t be granted without hearing Goa govt and without considering the case of State of Goa. In case such EC is issued without hearing State of Goa, we shall challenge the same before appropriate forum including NGT,” the chief minister said in a tweet late yesterday evening.
Greens in Goa, particularly the Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan hit out at the Centre for granting the EC to the project despite the whole imbroglio being sub-judice with the Goa government’s appeal lying in the Supreme Court.
Under the Kalasa-Bhanduri water project, Karnataka proposes to divert water from a tributary of the Mhadei river to satisfy the drinking water needs of Hubli-Dharwad.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress has strongly condemned the Centre’s move to grant the EC to the project.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president, Girish Chodankar said his party will not allow diversion of even a single drop of water from Mhadei and demanded that the Centre correct the wrong committed against Goa.
Chodankar also questioned the silence of the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleague Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, whose adjoining constituencies of Valpoi and Sanquelim will be most affected by any diversion of Mhadei waters.
