Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti has once again initiated the process to fill key vacant positions in the Mhadei PRAWAH (Progressive River Authority for Welfare and Harmony), the body constituted to address the ongoing dispute over the sharing of Mhadei river waters among Goa, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. This marks the fourth recruitment attempt since March 2024.
The authority was initially notified in May 2023 with a three-member structure and was later reconstituted in March 2024 under the leadership of Navin Kumar, a member of the Central Water Commission (CWC). Its first interim chairman, PM Scott, stepped down within a year after chairing only two meetings.
Efforts to appoint members have faced repeated setbacks. The Ministry first issued a call for applications in March 2024 to fill four posts, but received no response. Subsequent notifications released in June and December also failed to attract candidates.
In its latest move, the Ministry has advertised vacancies for four member positions — covering environmental issues, hydrology, and monitoring and regulation — along with a Director responsible for financial management.
Currently, Virendra Sharma, Chief Engineer of the CWC based in Bengaluru, is holding additional charge as Member (Monitoring and Regulation).
As per the eligibility criteria, the environmental expert must hold a degree in engineering or environmental engineering. The hydrology expert should be a serving officer from the Central or State government with relevant experience, while the monitoring and regulation role requires a background in civil or mechanical engineering.
