Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa government has assured the Legislative Assembly that it will actively oppose any water diversion or river projects proposed by Karnataka on the Mhadei (Mahadayi) river, and ensure that no such project receives approval from the Mahadayi PRAWAH Authority.
This assurance was given by Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar in a written reply to an Unstarred Question by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai on the Mhadei river.
The Minister clarified that Mahadayi PRAWAH is a neutral statutory authority constituted by the Government of India to implement the award of the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal, subject to the outcome of cases pending before the Supreme Court. He said the Authority is not mandated to protect the interest of any individual State, but to act in a neutral and objective manner within its notified powers.
However, Shirodkar said the State of Goa is taking all necessary precautions and remains vigilant over every move by Karnataka. Goa, he said, will actively oppose any projects proposed by Karnataka so that they do not receive PRAWAH’s approval.
The reply also stated that no project proposed by Karnataka in the Mahadayi basin has been approved by PRAWAH so far.
On monitoring river flows, the Minister said Mahadayi PRAWAH is responsible for regulating, controlling and monitoring the storage, use and release of waters of the Mahadayi river system, as per the Tribunal’s award. The Authority also collects and scrutinises hydrological and water-use data from all concerned States, including maintaining flow records and diversion data.
PRAWAH prepares water year records (from June 1 to May 31) every year to determine the availability of water in the Mahadayi and its tributaries. It also conducts periodic verification of storage in reservoirs and other water bodies using approved scientific methods, ensuring that water regulation is based on reliable and continuously updated data.
