“The legal case must undoubtedly be pursued with the strongest possible evidence. But the government also needs to explain to the people what exactly Goa is seeking before the court, what stage the various cases have reached and what its legal strategy is. The Supreme Court proceedings have already moved at a frustrating pace. The matter has remained pending despite earlier directions for it to be listed for hearing.
Meanwhile, the river cannot wait indefinitely for a judicial verdict.
The Mhadei is not merely a political symbol. It is central to Goa’s water security, ecology and agricultural landscape. Any diversion upstream can have consequences downstream, particularly during periods of declining rainfall and growing pressure on water resources. Goa has therefore every reason to remain vigilant.”
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s assurance that Goa will continue its legal battle over Mhadei is welcome, but it is hardly enough. The Mhadei dispute has been dragging on for years, and Goans have heard repeated assurances about protecting every drop of the river. What the state needs now is not another declaration of confidence, but a clear strategy, political consistency and visible action.
Sawant has said that Goa will fight the case till the end and expressed confidence that the state will win. His statement came after Union Minister Pralhad Joshi urged Karnataka to withdraw its pending Supreme Court cases relating to the Mhadei dispute to remove hurdles and speed up project clearances. The Chief Minister chose not to comment on Joshi’s remarks, saying the matter was legal.
That response raises an uncomfortable question. If the Mhadei issue is purely a legal matter, why has it repeatedly become a political issue across Goa and Karnataka? Water disputes are never confined to courtrooms. They involve politics, federal relations, environmental concerns and the interests of millions of people.
Goa therefore cannot afford to treat the Supreme Court as the only battlefield.
The legal case must undoubtedly be pursued with the strongest possible evidence. But the government also needs to explain to the people what exactly Goa is seeking before the court, what stage the various cases have reached and what its legal strategy is. The Supreme Court proceedings have already moved at a frustrating pace. The matter has remained pending despite earlier directions for it to be listed for hearing.
Meanwhile, the river cannot wait indefinitely for a judicial verdict.
The Mhadei is not merely a political symbol. It is central to Goa’s water security, ecology and agricultural landscape. Any diversion upstream can have consequences downstream, particularly during periods of declining rainfall and growing pressure on water resources. Goa has therefore every reason to remain vigilant.
But vigilance cannot mean issuing statements every time Karnataka announces a move.
The government should publish a comprehensive white paper on the Mhadei dispute. It should place before the public the Tribunal award, Goa’s objections, the appeals pending before the Supreme Court, the environmental concerns and the steps taken by the state to prevent any unauthorised diversion. Such transparency would also prevent Mhadei from becoming a convenient political slogan every time elections approach.
There is another important dimension. Goa needs political unity on Mhadei, but political unity should not mean silence. Opposition parties have every right to question the government’s handling of the dispute. The government, in turn, must answer those questions with facts rather than accusing critics of weakening Goa’s position.
The state must also demand accountability from the Centre whenever decisions or statements appear to favour administrative convenience over Goa’s concerns. Joshi’s appeal to Karnataka may have been made with the intention of removing hurdles to projects, but Goa cannot allow the urgency of project clearances to overshadow its legitimate concerns over the river.
At the same time, Goa must be careful not to turn the dispute into an endless confrontation without exploring every legitimate avenue for negotiation, monitoring and joint inspection. Law and diplomacy should work together, not against each other.
Most importantly, the government must stop measuring success by the number of times it says it will fight. Success will ultimately be measured by whether Mhadei remains protected and whether Goa’s legal and environmental interests are secured.
The Chief Minister is right that Goa cannot simply walk away from the Mhadei battle. But after years of litigation, people deserve more than confidence that there will be a “definite win”.
They deserve evidence of preparedness.
They deserve transparency.
And above all, they deserve a government that treats Mhadei not as an issue to be revived whenever political pressure builds, but as a permanent question of Goa’s survival.
The river has already given Goa enough time. The government must now show that it is using that time wisely.
