Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government has urged the Centre to send officials to Karnataka’s Kalasa and Bhandura project sites for an on-ground assessment during the monsoon, citing concerns over changes to the flow of water from the Mhadei basin.
Goa has approached the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti seeking an inspection by the Mahadayi Prawah authority. The state wants the inspection team to examine the condition of the works at both locations and determine whether any breaches have resulted in water moving towards the Malaprabha basin.
The government has also questioned the Central Water Commission’s technical appraisal of Karnataka’s revised proposal for diverting water through the Kalasa-Bhandura scheme. Goa has asked the Centre to reconsider the appraisal and keep it in abeyance pending further examination.
Another issue raised by Goa concerns structures built under earlier versions of Karnataka’s diversion plans. The state has sought details of such works that are no longer required and has called for redundant structures to be removed and affected areas restored.
Goa has maintained that observations made during earlier monsoons indicated movement of Mhadei-basin water towards the Malaprabha basin near the project sites. It has therefore sought an independent assessment rather than relying solely on records and reports relating to the projects.
Dispute over Mhadei waters
The Mhadei originates in Karnataka and flows westwards into Goa, where it is known as the Mandovi. Its waters are important to Goa’s drinking-water supply, agriculture and ecological systems.
The sharing of the river’s waters has been disputed by Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra for several years. Karnataka’s proposal to divert water from tributaries of the Mhadei towards the Malaprabha basin, particularly through the Kalasa-Bandura project, has been a major point of contention.
The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal was constituted in 2010 to adjudicate the dispute. It delivered its final award in 2018, allocating water among the three states and setting conditions relating to the use and diversion of water.
The dispute, however, has continued over the implementation of the award, project approvals and construction-related activity. Goa has repeatedly raised objections to Karnataka’s diversion plans and has sought scrutiny of the works being undertaken in the Mhadei basin.
