BELAGAVI
After visiting the disputed Kalsa-Bhandura water diversion project areas bordering Goa and Kankumbi on Sunday, a meeting of the Progressive River Authority for Water and Harmony (PRAWAH) was held in Bengaluru Monday afternoon.
According to sources, there was no agenda to discuss the reported violation of award as alleged by authorities in Goa.
A top source in the Karnataka government said, “No discussion about the alleged violation of the award pronounced by Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal (MWDT) was there on the agenda of the PRAWAH meeting.”
The Bengaluru meeting also held a discussion of the DPR of Virdi large and minor irrigation project of Maharashtra government.
Sources said the Karnataka officers were of the view that the project should not be considered by the Centre until the Maharashtra government acquired all the needed permissions from the Central government to go ahead with the project.
The members of PRAWAH also discussed several issues with regard to the Mhadei water sharing project at the meeting.
“The Karnataka government has adhered to all orders and directions of the court and MWDT and hence the question of any kind of illegal works or diversion of water taking place at the project site would not arise,” sources in Karnataka government claimed.
Claiming that Goa government may be exploring all the possible ways to halt the diversion of Mahadayi water to Malaprabha, sources said that Karnataka government was committed to implementing the project effectively by getting all the hurdles cleared including forest and
wildlife permission from the Centre in the next few months.
Meanwhile, findings by the PRAWAH are likely to be submitted to the concerned authorities for further implementation.
