Porvorim (Goa) [India], July 24 (ANI): The Mahadayi river project has sparked a heated dispute between Karnataka and Goa, with both states claiming rights to the river’s water.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant emphasised the river’s importance to Goa on Thursday, saying, “For everyone, the Mahadayi is a political issue, but for Goa, Mahadayi is our lifeline.”
Sawant asserted that the Goa government is actively representing its interests in the Supreme Court, central government, and the Mahadayi dispute tribunal.
Sawant stated, “For everyone, the Mahadayi is a political issue, but for Goa, Mahadayi is our lifeline. The Mahadayi river water which comes from Karnataka into Goa, our government represents our stand at the Supreme Court, central government, and the Mahadayi dispute tribunal from time to time… Mahadayi river water that comes into Goa should flow freely because it is our lifeline, and it is also the lifeline of Mahadayi Wildlife Sanctuary. Our fight will go on…”
The Mahadayi river originates in Karnataka’s Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary and flows through Goa before emptying into the Arabian Sea. Karnataka plans to divert 7.56 tmcft of water to the Malaprabha valley for the Kalasa-Banduri project, which would support over 40 lakh people in Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag, Bagalkot, and nearby areas. However, Goa has objected to this plan, leading to a decades-long dispute.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has strongly criticised Sawant’s remarks, calling them an insult to the people of Karnataka. Siddaramaiah emphasised the project’s importance for providing drinking water to North Karnataka and accused the Centre and Goa’s BJP government of blocking justice for Karnataka.
“Mahadayi is not for luxury or waste, it is for the drinking water needs of North Karnataka,” he said. Despite a 2018 tribunal verdict allocating 13.42 TMC of water to Karnataka, the project remains stalled.
Earlier on Wednesday, Karnataka Minister HK Patil stated that the Chief Minister of Goa had made a statement in the assembly, claiming that Union Minister Bhupender Yadav had informed him that the central government would not allow Karnataka to undertake the Mahadayi project.
Speaking to reporters, Patil said, “Yesterday, the Chief Minister of Goa made a statement in the assembly that Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has told him that the central government will not allow Karnataka to take up the Mahadayi diversion program. It is shocking and against the people of Karnataka.”
He added that the people of Karnataka are angry over the Centre’s stand on the project. “The people are angry over the stance of the central government. The government of India should give the necessary clearance and allow Karnataka to start the project work,” he said.
The dispute has led to a legal and political battle between the two states. Goa plans to file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court against Karnataka for activities aimed at diverting water from the Mahadayi River. Karnataka, on the other hand, will discuss the Mahadayi issue during the monsoon session of the legislature, which starts on August 11.
The Centre’s role in resolving the dispute remains crucial, with Karnataka accusing it of obstructing the project’s implementation
The Mhadei, also known as the Mandovi River in Goa and Mahadayi in Karnataka, originates in Karnataka and empties into the Arabian Sea in Panaji, Goa, while briefly flowing through Maharashtra. (ANI)
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