PANAJI
The legal facet of the raging Mhadei river's water sharing dispute is expected to be revived when the Supreme Court of India reopens after the summer vacation next Monday with sources in Goa's legal team led by Advocate General Devidas Pangam indicating that the Apex Court could hear the matter on July 10.
All the three States involved -- Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa -- have challenged the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal award delivered on August 14, 2018.
The bone of contention is mainly between Goa and Karnataka over the latter being granted a share of the coveted river's waters, including diversion of 3.4 tmc out of the basin by daming it at Kalasa and Bandhura.
In the proceedings before the Supreme Court, Goa has also raised objections to the approval granted by the Centre to the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of the Karnataka government for constructing dams at Kalasa and Bhandura to carry out the diversion of water outside the basin.
The approval of the DPRs in December last year when the matter was sub-judice in the Apex Court had kicked up a political row as it was seen as an electoral ploy given its timing a few months before the Karnataka assembly elections. The Bharatiya Janata Party was the party in power at the Centre, in Karnataka and also in Goa then.
