PANAJI
The Mhadei river diversion matter failed to come up for hearing before the Supreme Court on Thursday and is now expected to be heard on January 30.
The Apex Court will hear the special leave petitions filed by the three-riparian States -- Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra -- along with the contempt pleas filed by the coastal State.
The matter was listed at No 117 for January 23 in Court No 1 for hearing. However, on Thursday, Court heard matters only till No 113 and listed the other matters for hearing on January 30.
The matter had come up before the Supreme Court in November, last month, after almost nine months. Without any hearing, the matter was posted for January.
All the three States have filed additional written submissions before the Court, as directed during the previous hearing held in February, 2024. Before that, the matter was heard in July, 2023.
Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra have filed Special Leave Petitions in the Court challenging the Mhadei Distribute Tribunal Award, dated August 2018.
Also, the Goa Government has filed contempt plea against Karnataka for undertaking construction works at Kankumbi for diversion of Mhadei river water to Malaprabha basin. The State has also raised an objection before the Court against Central Water Commission’s technical approval to the detailed project report (DPR) for Kalasa-Bhandura drinking water project.
