Goemkarponn desk
MAPUSA: Save Mhadei Save Goa Front held an awareness programme in Mapusa to sensitize the people about the Mhadei issue
The front stated that if the Mhadei water is diverted, then the people from six talukas and two districts of Goa will be left without water and livelihood,
The citizens in Goa are up in arms against Karnataka for trying to divert the Mhadei river by constructing dams on it.
The Central government had recently approved the Detailed Project Report of two dams – Kalsa and Bhanduri – on the Mhadei river in Karnataka.
The citizens appealed to the people to show their solidarity towards saving Mhadei by lighting a lamp on Sunday at 7.30 pm.
President of the Bodgeshwar farmers association Sanjay Barde appealed to the people to come out in large numbers and protest against the diversion of Mhadei river water as Mahadei is our lifeline and Mahadei is our mother.
Historian and member of Save Mhadei Save Goa front Prajal Sakhardande said that there is a long way to go and called upon the people to make sure that Karnataka never gets the Environmental Clearance (EC) for the Kalasa Bandura project.
Councillor of Mapusa municipal council Shashank Narvekar said that water is a very important necessity and the diversion of water to Karnataka will spell doom for the Goans as they will be deprived of the basic necessity of water and appealed to the people to come out and protest and added that Some countries in Africa struggled to get clean drinking water.
“We are blessed with fresh water as a result; people in Goa, especially the youth, have not understood the price of clean water. Need to create awareness amongst the youth of the value of clean water.” He said
Shiv Sena chief Jitesh Kamat said that if the water of Mhadei is diverted, then the saline water of the sea will reach sahaydri and the western Ghats will be destroyed, including the biodiversity he added that the people are surviving today by drinking water from Mahdei river as Mhadei is our mother and we will not allow the diversion of water
Another front member said that the government has not yet challenged the DPR nod given to Karnataka to divert the Mhadei river water..
“We have lost the battle many a time because of the failures of successive governments. We hope the government will exhaust all options to save Mhadei and foil Karnataka’s attempts to divert the river waters”, he added.
Former bureaucrat Elvis Gomes said, “People are forced to start this battle because the State government is not with Goans in this battle. This is not a political issue or out of the difference between the parties. It’s not only about drinking water issues but the flora and fauna and biodiversity will be affected.” Said Gomes
