Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI/DELHI: The Union Government has informed the Karnataka Government that it will not process the pending forest and wildlife clearances required for the proposed diversion of water from the Mhadei river until the Supreme Court delivers its final judgment in the interstate river dispute.
The communication effectively pauses progress on the Kalasa and Banduri components of the project, which Karnataka has proposed to divert water from the Mhadei basin to the Malaprabha river to improve drinking water supply in several districts of the state.
According to the Centre, granting statutory environmental approvals while the matter is under consideration before the Supreme Court would not be appropriate. As a result, the proposal will remain pending until the apex court decides on the legal issues arising from the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal award.
The development marks another delay for Karnataka’s long-pursued project. The state has maintained that the diversion is essential to provide drinking water to people in northern Karnataka, particularly in districts that frequently experience water shortages.
Goa, however, has consistently opposed the proposal, arguing that any reduction in the natural flow of the Mhadei river would have far-reaching consequences for the state’s ecology and water security. The river is the primary source of the Mandovi, one of Goa’s most important rivers, and supports drinking water needs, agriculture, fisheries, biodiversity, navigation and tourism.
Goa has also maintained that the Mhadei basin forms part of the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats and that any diversion could cause irreversible environmental damage. The state has repeatedly sought strict adherence to environmental safeguards and has challenged various approvals related to the project before the Supreme Court.
Although the Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal had allocated water shares among Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra, all three states have approached the Supreme Court seeking modifications to different parts of the Tribunal’s award. The appeals are still pending, and the final outcome will determine the future course of the project.
With the Centre linking statutory clearances to the Supreme Court’s decision, Karnataka will have to wait before moving ahead with construction, while Goa views the latest development as reinforcing its stand that no further approvals should be granted until the legal process is concluded.
